


The Greatest Gift

by les16



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 01:18:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 274,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/les16/pseuds/les16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward Cullen has the plane ride of his life when a mysterious flight companion changes his life in the blink of an eye. Edward will need the help of his wife, Isabella, to right the wrongs of his past before it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

  


**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 1**

"You'd better enjoy that scotch while you can," said the man next to Edward. "I've been told you don't have much longer to enjoy the finer things in this life, Edward Anthony Cullen."

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" Edward asked, startled by the use of his whole name.

Edward hadn't noticed anyone sitting next to him on the late afternoon flight from La Guardia to O'Hare. He glanced to his right and took in his companion for the short hour and a half trip. The man was huge, like NFL linebacker huge, with short brown hair and the bluest eyes Edward had ever seen. And they…twinkled? What the fuck? Edward thought surely he was seeing things because when he looked back at the man, his eyes looked like every other set of blue eyes he'd seen before. The man was expensively dressed. There was no doubting the Italian cut of the gray suit he wore or the costly, gleaming black Italian leather shoes the man had on his feet.

Edward knew precisely how much the shoes cost, he had the exact pair at home. Isabella had bought them just a few months before.

Isabella…Edward's wife of five years…five very long, often lonely years for both of them.

Edward picked up his glass and took a sip of the scotch. He shuddered as the liquid burned his throat going down. The stuff was mediocre at best, but that was what he got for flying commercial, he thought to himself.

 _Damn last minute meeting_ , Edward cursed to himself again. He'd had to make the emergency trip to meet with a disgruntled client. Thinking back over the reason for the meeting had him gritting his teeth in frustration. _Incompetent fools_ , he thought.

"My name is Seth," the large man told Edward in a voice that seemed to fill the entire cabin of the plane. In fact, the voice was so loud he cringed in response but as he looked around, Edward noticed that no one else was affected. Not one person even glanced their way.

As soon as that thought registered with him, his stomach roiled and he cursed the spicy Mexican food he'd eaten for lunch.

Edward very pointedly ignored the obnoxiously loud beast of a man and thought to himself that the best way to get through the flight home would be to just pretend his seat mate was not there.

"I'm an angel," the man named Seth said, then continued, "in fact, I'm your own personal guide to the afterlife. You have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it, so I've been sent to help you along."

Edward shook his head and signaled for the flight attendant. _Surely he didn't hear what he just thought_ _he did_ , he lamely tried to convince himself. He smiled as she approached. Edward Cullen had been using his natural born magnetism and charisma since before he knew what those two words meant to get what he wanted, especially from members of the opposite sex. This time was no different. He was going to demand to change his seat but when she approached and asked what he needed, the words he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

When he glanced to his right to point out what his problem was there was no one there. _What the_ _hell?_ So instead, Edward asked for a refill of his drink.

He felt his stomach churn again and seriously thought about suing the restaurant for serving food that made people hallucinate because there was no way in hell what he thought just happened, really happened. It wasn't possible.

"She can't see me, Eddie. In fact, no one but you has the pleasure of knowing of my existence. You should count yourself extremely fortunate," the deep, rich voice said.

The flight attendant returned with his drink and handed it to him with a bashful smile and a blush on her cheeks. The poor woman's reaction to Edward was something that he was quite used to, and he chuckled to himself when her breathing picked up when he smiled back at her.

 _So totally predictable,_ Edward mused silently, forgetting momentarily the invisible presence to his right. Well, pointedly trying to ignore whatever was going on next to him would be more precise. He picked up the glass and took another tentative sip of the amber liquid. He shuddered again and set the glass down in frustration.

 _How fucking hard was it to serve a decent scotch on this damn flight?_ Edward haughtily thought to himself. Again he cursed the meeting and the fact he was unable to take the company jet to New York City. Especially since his brother, Emmett, and his wife Rosalie, along with their children, were currently comfortably ensconced in it, while he was drinking barely palatable scotch and hearing voices after eating what seemed to be spoiled Mexican food.

"That bad, huh?" the large man asked from his seat on Edward's right. Seth chuckled and then waved his hand over the amber liquid. "See if that's better," he said with a point of his chin in Edward's direction.

Edward rolled his eyes, not wanting to play along with his mysterious flight companion, but he picked the glass up and took a tentative sip to appease him. _None of this was really happening anyway,_ Edward thought as he tried valiantly to convince himself.

It was delicious. His mouth exploded as the liquid flowed over his tongue and down his throat. He was immediately flooded with warmth and the taste reminded him of Isabella. Soft, smooth, enticing. It was the best thing he had ever tasted and he wanted more of it. Immediately. He wished to taste the exquisite elixir every day for the rest of his life, if he could.

"What brand is this?" Edward demanded of the man to his right, and Seth just shook his head in response.

"It can't be bought, no matter how much money you have," Seth told him and Edward again felt a stab of…something in his stomach.

Those words seemed to carry another meaning altogether but he wasn't able to pinpoint exactly what.

It was late afternoon and a summer storm was brewing outside the plane's windows and lightning flashed dangerously close to the aircraft. If his damn plane wouldn't have been delayed in New York, he'd be on the ground right now, ahead of the storm, Edward thought to himself, and cursed his brother…again.

"What the hell do you want?" he demanded of the big man, tired of playing whatever game he was unwittingly a part of.

"I don't want anything, Edward Anthony Cullen. Like I said, my job, as it was put forth to me, is to help you get your life, such as it is, in order before it is your time to go," Seth told Edward.

"Go where?" Edward asked the Seth person…being. Whatever the hell he was.

Seth shrugged his shoulders at Edward and said, "Wherever it is you believe your soul goes after you die."

"You're telling me I'm going to die soon?" Edward asked Seth incredulously. "Impossible," he went on. "I'm young. I'm in perfect health. I have more money than I can spend in this lifetime, probably more than I can spend in ten lifetimes. I am a powerful man. I can have what I want, when I want. I am not going to die anytime soon," he stated emphatically.

Seth shrugged his shoulders at Edward and regarded him shrewdly. "Big deal, Eddie. You are rich and powerful. You think the world should bow at your feet and you have no time for those you have deemed unworthy of you. But you can't have everything you want. You can't buy immortality and you can't buy the affections of your lovely Isabella either."

At the mention of his bride's name, Edward felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest. In fact, the pain was localized right where his heart was. Edward gaped at Seth as he tried to rub the pain away to no avail. Seth watched Edward as he futilely attempted to ease the ache and waited until he said, "Make it stop. Please!" Seth waved his massive hand again and the pain ceased.

"What the hell was that?" Edward challenged, somewhat afraid of what was happening to him. He couldn't dispute the pain he'd just felt and he couldn't deny that there was … _something_ going on that he didn't quite understand.

Seth turned his blue eyes and Edward cringed from the intensity he saw there. Suddenly, he was very afraid.

"That, Edward Anthony Cullen," Seth bellowed in such a voice that Edward felt it in his bones, "was only a brief, albeit painful reminder of the pain you have caused our Isabella. I have to tell you in all honesty, Eddie my boy, you are one giant piece of excrement."

The lightning outside the airplane continued to crackle and flash, and Edward suddenly felt like he was falling apart. It was as if he were a piece of glass slammed up against a brick wall, shattering into unrecognizable pieces as they fell to the ground. One more brilliant flash of light burned brightly, and then the plane lurched and began to fall. Trays and belongings began to fly through the aircraft as the pilot tried valiantly to right the large piece of machinery.

Seth sat docilely beside Edward as Edward was pitched forward against his seat belt. Edward's life began to flash before his eyes and it was not a pretty sight in the least. He didn't care; he just wanted it to stop. If that meant it was his time to go now, so be it. But after a few moments, he realized he did care.

He cared a lot.

He closed his eyes to try to halt the onslaught of images, but it was a wasted effort. Moment after moment after miserable moment he relived in vivid clarity and it was…painful. So much regret; so many wasted opportunities.

"Save me!" Edward begged the so-called angel to his right and after a brief moment of scrutiny by the big man, Seth raised his eyebrows and smirked as the plane suddenly righted itself and began on its course toward Chicago again.

Edward gasped for breath and looked around the first class cabin taking note of his fellow passengers as they sat, still sleeping or talking softly amongst themselves, as if nothing had just happened. He tried to take a few deep breaths and eventually he felt his heart beating a normal rhythm again.

"Nice fake with the almost crash," Edward snarled at Seth.

Seth waved his hand dismissively and told Edward, "Not a fake at all, Eddie. It is what would have happened had I not been here to intervene. Someone thinks you are worth saving. I seriously have my doubts, but who am I to argue?" The angel shrugged his shoulders and gazed at him.

Edward shook his head in disbelief. _This could not be happening…could it?_ There was no way that he, Edward Cullen, multimillionaire and heir to the Cullen fortune, even though it was only because of a stroke of good luck, could be sitting in the first class section of an airplane that an angel had saved from certain peril.

"What the hell is going on here?" Edward muttered to himself and he felt that same falling apart sensation he had just moments before.

He was not used to the feelings currently coursing through his body, and he didn't like it at all. He was Edward Cullen, damn it. He was CEO of the country's largest publishing firm and at thirty-five he was the youngest by far. Cullen Publishing was the most prestigious firm in the country and he had been in charge for over five years now. He had a beautiful home in Evanston and enjoyed the finer things in life whenever he chose to do so. Isabella was a perfect wife; she was nice to look at, kept an immaculate home, and left him to do as he pleased. He enjoyed having her, and even though she had held firm to her belief that she would not sleep with him before they were married, she was an astonishingly satisfying bed partner.

"What do you want?" Edward asked again of the man he was slowly beginning to believe was exactly who, and what, he said he was, no matter how extraordinary that belief was.

Seth smiled at Edward, a bright, engaging smile in all matter-of-fact, and said simply, "What I want is irrelevant, Edward Anthony. I told you before and I'll say it again, I've been sent to help you fix the mess you've made of your life. You don't have much longer on this Earth. It is my job to help you, if it's possible, right as many of the wrongs as you can before your time is up."

"Why?" Edward asked, honestly curious as to why it was important to do such a thing.

The big man shrugged his broad shoulders and said, "Why not? Do you really want to leave this world and leave behind those you have wronged knowing you could have made things right with just a little bit of effort on your part?"

Edward sat back in his seat and thought for a moment. He winced as he remembered just a few of the memories that had just before flown through his mind.

"What exactly are we talking here?" he shrewdly asked, wanting to make sure what the parameters of this deal were before he agreed to it.

Not that he believed he was going to die anytime soon, mind you. However, if he were to meet with an untimely passing, Edward grudgingly admitted to himself that it would be nice to not feel like the bastard he believed himself to be when the time came. Introspection was definitely not one of his favorite past times, but even he couldn't deny the bitter taste that was left in his mouth after he watched his wretched life pass before his eyes.

Seth regarded Edward silently for a few moments and Edward was uncomfortable with the gesture. Usually it was he who did the staring, and he was quite good at it, too. One of his most enjoyable things to do was to watch others squirm in his presence.

 _How utterly pathetic_ , Edward ruminated to himself and shook his head sadly. So many damn regrets.

"It's simple really, Edward Anthony," the angel began. "I make suggestions, you follow them. When the end comes you will leave this world a much happier and peaceful being. Simple as that," Seth finished with a flourish and a snap of his massive fingers.

The sound was so loud that Edward had to cover his ears, but once again he was the only one affected and no one else noticed at all.

"What if you tell me to do something and I don't want to do it?" Edward asked as he thought about all the angles of this…deal or whatever the hell it was. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. He really couldn't believe it, but after the things that just flashed in his mind, Edward was willing to accept Seth as who, and what he said he was. Dying was definitely not on his list of things he wanted to do, but the thought of ridding himself of the guilt and the self-loathing he carried around with him on a daily basis, was a most welcome thought.

The big man rolled his eyes at Edward. "Then you don't do it. Edward, you still have your free will. However, I highly doubt you will be saying no to me at all. If something comes up and you don't like it, we'll negotiate. Piece of cake," Seth stated.

Edward could not stop the shiver that went down his spine as the angel repeated the words he often used when he was trying to convince a client to sign on with his firm, and he usually used them when the client didn't want to do something.

"What kind of time line are we talking?" he asked, still not fully believing that he was having this particular conversation with a man that claimed to be an angel.

"I was not given a definitive answer to that question, Edward Anthony, but suffice it to say, you don't have time to waste trying to outmaneuver me. I've been around for a long, long, very long time, my young friend, and it will take someone who possesses even more talent than you to try to get me to say something I don't want to say. Nice try though. I give you props for the effort." Seth smirked at Edward.

 _Well shit, now what the hell do I do?_ Edward thought to himself as he ran his hands through the riotous bronze hair on top of his head. He closed his emerald green eyes and thought over the facts as he knew them. First, there was a large man sitting next to him that claimed to be an angel, or a being of some sort. Second, said being supposedly was sent to guide him and help him tie up loose ends before he died. That was a most unwelcome fact to consider, but it did need to be taken into account. Third, whatever that was a few minutes ago with the almost plane crash caused him to take a look at his life and admit he didn't like much of what he had seen.

Edward opened his eyes after taking a deep, somewhat calming breath and considered the Seth person for a few moments before he began to speak. "So we sign some sort of deal or what not?" he asked, wondering what exactly such a document would say.

"You are a man of your word are you not, Edward Anthony?" Seth replied back. "You may be a terrible employer, an even worse son, a horse's ass of a brother, and without a doubt, one of the most neglectful husbands ever. You don't seem to take to heart the wedding vows you spoke during your marriage ceremony, though at least you've somehow managed to remain faithful, but it can never be said that you backed out of a business deal. So in accordance with that, a handshake between the two of us will suffice."

Seth held his large hand out for Edward to shake and after a brief hesitation on Edward's part, he clasped his hand with Seth's and they shook.

Edward could not help but feel that he somehow had just agreed to much more than a promise to listen to the advice of an angel…um, being.

 _Shit_ , Edward thought. _What the hell do I call the guy? I'm not sure I can go along with all this angel_ _business,_ he thought to himself, but even he had to admit that the evidence that Seth was a being that possessed extreme talents was at the present, overwhelming in its totality.

As Edward and Seth sat in a mostly comfortable silence for a bit, Edward found himself more at peace than he could ever remember. He was filled with a feeling of calm and warmth that spread throughout his entire body and the feeling felt like it was unable to be contained. For the first time in a long while, he experienced what true joy, true happiness, and true love felt like. He had the overwhelming belief that everything would be okay, that he would be able to fix the mess of his life. It was not a welcome realization to fully comprehend the disaster his life was and had been, and the thought of being able to fix that filled him with a sense of completeness. It was the most amazing and intense thing he had ever felt and he never wanted the feeling to go away.

After a few more moments of bliss, the feeling gradually faded away and left behind only a lingering sensation that soothed him immensely.

Edward looked wide-eyed at Seth and asked, "Is that what it will feel like when I die?"

Seth chuckled and looked at Edward as if he were an adorable child instead of a thirty-five year-old man. "It's a hint, a mere blip of what awaits you if you are successful in digging yourself out of the mess you've created with your selfish and overbearing ways."

As Edward settled back in his seat, he smiled softly, and realized with a start, he couldn't wait to get home to see his wife.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Thirty thousand feet below the plane that currently housed her husband, Isabella looked up from her gardening and wondered about Edward's trip. She knew how upset he was at having to go and she hoped it had at least gone well. Maybe then he would be in a better mood by the time he arrived home.

As she dug her hands into the warm, moist soil she couldn't help but sigh as she thought about her husband. Isabella knew that she had seen a side of him he rarely let others see, and even then, they were only brief glimpses. Those glimpses, however, were enough to sustain her, enough for her to hold onto because she knew, without a doubt, that beneath his many layers there was a man that was worthy of her love and devotion. He was a difficult man, there was no disputing that, but she loved him.

Madly, passionately, irrevocably.

Isabella Swan Cullen had fallen head over heels in love with Edward Cullen the moment she saw him for the first time. She had been twenty-four at the time and had just graduated with top honors from Loyola University with a Masters Degree in Modern Literature. At the time, she had briefly considered continuing her education and completing the requirements to receive her Ph.D., but decided that she'd had enough of academics for the time being.

From the time Isabella was a little girl her mother, Renée, had instilled in her a love of reading that only grew over the years. There was hardly ever a time that Isabella didn't have a book at the ready. She devoured novels that were years ahead of her age before she was ten, and her voracious appetite for reading any and everything only grew stronger with time.

Her father, Charlie, insisted that his daughter be a well-rounded young woman so a compromise was made. Isabella could spend as much time reading as she wished, as long as she participated in extra curricular activities as well. Charlie was a pragmatic man and there was no way his only and most beloved daughter would become an outcast because she loved to read.

With some trepidation, Isabella decided she would try to play soccer. It wasn't that she was afraid to try, but the truth that was abundantly clear to anyone who had ever watched the young girl attempt anything that required coordination, was that Isabella lacked it…immensely. Much to everyone's surprise, most especially Charlie's, she was a picture of grace and agility on the soccer pitch. Put cleats on her feet and give her a ball to run with and she turned into a vision that enchanted all who watched her. Teammate, coach, spectator or opposition, it didn't matter. From the time Isabella started playing at the age of ten all the way through until she graduated from college as an undergrad, you could find her in one of two places. When she wasn't in the library studying or curled up with a book during her free time, she was on the soccer field practicing or playing.

Charlie, Renée, and Isabella lived in the suburbs of Chicago in Wheaton where Charlie was the Chief of Police. Renée owned a small art studio where you could find her giving pottery lessons and conducting art classes frequently. They were a solidly middle class, Catholic family and Isabella grew up in a happy, loving home with two parents that had no qualms about showing their affection for each other in front of their daughter. The only regret her parents had was Renée's inability to have more children after their daughter was born. Due to a complicated delivery that resulted in her mom hemorrhaging, the doctors and Charlie had to make a split second decision that resulted in a complete hysterectomy for Renée. After a brief period of depression for Isabella's mom as she came to terms with what happened to her, her parents focused their abundant love on their precious daughter.

Isabella was a brilliant child and her parents were so proud of the person their daughter was. She was well-loved by friends and teachers both, all throughout her schooling. She was kind, unfailingly polite and respectful and above all else, the most selfless person most would ever meet.

That is not to say that dear Isabella was a pushover, because nothing could be further from the truth. While she inherited her slightly reserved and pragmatic approach to most situations from her adored father, Isabella also inherited her mother's zest for life and with it, her mother's refusal to allow anyone to dictate to her who and what she should be. Once Isabella made a decision about something, it would take an act of Congress, at the very least, to get her to change her mind. You would be hard-pressed to find a person more stubborn than Isabella Marie Swan! Not only that, Isabella had a fiery temper when provoked. She didn't show it often, but once it came out, you'd never forget. She was passionate in all she did, whether it was her work, her faith, or her love for her husband. Isabella Swan Cullen was no shrinking violet, not by a long shot.

Between her mother and her Nonna, there was no way Isabella wouldn't have learned from early on to stand her ground and stand up for herself. Charlie had his hands full with the women in his life that was for sure, but he wouldn't have had it any other way. Nonna Santoro was a blessing and since the passing of his parents and Renée's father, Angelo, Gianna Santoro was the only family Charlie and Renée had left. The Italian matriarch was a welcome presence in all of their lives but especially to Isabella. The relationship she had with her Nonna was profound and incredibly special to them both.

Isabella lived a full, carefree life and she blossomed into a striking young woman by the time she entered high school. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends, much like any other girl her age, but she usually spent her Friday and Saturday nights either competing in soccer matches, watching her team's football games in the fall and baseball games in the spring with her father, or quietly reading or learning to cook from her Nonna.

Boys pursued her relentlessly, falling captive to her beauty as well as her wit and grace, but Isabella rebuffed them all. It wasn't that she didn't like them, for she had countless friends that were male, but Isabella approached romance the way she did with all other things in her life. She had no problems being friends with boys and even went on the occasional date to a movie or to dinner, but that was it. Until she found the man of her dreams, the one that would steal her heart and treasure it like the gift it was, friendly dates were as far as she was willing to go.

It was a bit old-fashioned, even Isabella would admit to that, but she couldn't help what she believed and more importantly, what she wanted. After watching her parents and listening to countless stories about her Nonna and her beloved Angelo, Isabella would settle for nothing less than a love that would last a lifetime.

So all through high school, college, and then graduate school, Isabella dated casually but protected her heart, and her virtue, until she was ready to give both to the man she would marry and spend her life with. As soon as she laid her deep, coffee-colored eyes on one Edward Cullen she knew unequivocally that he would be that man.

Her heart recognized its other half the instant she stepped into his office for an interview to be Cullen Publishing's newest editor. As a recent graduate, Isabella was lacking the practical experience such a position would normally require but everyone from Edward to his father and brother couldn't ignore the glowing recommendations that accompanied her résumé.

The instant attraction wasn't one-sided either. The moment Isabella Swan had walked into his office, Edward wanted her. She was beautiful, smart, and above all else, a conquest he was determined to enjoy.

Edward hired Isabella for her qualifications, but he admitted to himself during a brief moment of introspection, he also hired her because he couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her after their initial interview. There was something there, some foreign feeling that he was loathe and admittedly terrified to explore when it came to Isabella, but he knew from the first moment he saw her, he would have her.

Come hell or high water, he would have her.

Edward was so used to getting what he wanted because he wanted it; he never even gave it a moment's thought that Isabella Marie would be any different. How wrong that turned out to be! He learned quickly that the only way to win her heart was to be as open and honest as he was able to be. With her, he was different. With her, he felt as if he could let the mask fall and let her see the real him. He tried, and he succeeded. They took long walks through the park. They discussed history, politics, art, and music. He took her to the opera; she took him to the amusement park. When it was just the two of them, he was a completely different man than he was at other times and with other people. More often than not he was still guarded, he still hid behind his walls, but Isabella was able to see past them to see the man that lay beneath. Isabella tested him, often, and called him on his actions more times than he cared to admit. He was also reluctant to admit he rather enjoyed it as well.

Their marriage wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but over the years Isabella had learned many things about her husband. When he was away from the office, when he relaxed and let his guard down, he was a completely different man. When he let himself go and just be in the moment with her, he was mesmerizing. It didn't happen often, mind you. More often than not Edward hid from her. She knew it and she even understood when he pulled away from her. She didn't know what haunted him so, what dark things he kept locked inside, but she knew they were there.

There was a deep and powerful connection between the two of them, some unexplainable, unseen force that drew them together even though it didn't make complete sense. Isabella couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but she felt it whenever she questioned what she was doing. Growing up with her loving parents, hearing stories about her Nonna and her Angelo gave her the role models of what she wanted from her own marriage. It was hard to admit at times that her marriage wasn't what she envisioned, but in all truthfulness whenever she pictured her future, she always saw Edward with her.

Besides, she really didn't have a choice in the matter. She loved Edward Cullen, fully and totally, faults and all.

The cell phone that rang in her pocket brought Isabella back to the present and after a brief conversation with her mother, she returned the phone to her pocket, sat back on her knees, and wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. Isabella looked around her garden and couldn't help but smile at the large amount of work she'd been able to get done while Edward was away.

Isabella missed her husband, desperately so as a matter-of-fact. It would make him uncomfortable to acknowledge it however, but that didn't make it any less true. Edward and Isabella's marriage looked perfect to anyone who didn't look too closely. Isabella didn't doubt Edward's love for her, or at least as much as he would allow himself to feel for her, and she knew that she would never love anyone else for as long as she lived except for him.

She prayed daily that with time her love and patience would break through the impenetrable fortress Edward had buried his heart in. Isabella had faith that the day would come when he would allow himself to be happy, that he would allow her to show him how much she loved him. He'd done it before, even though he would withdraw from her afterward. Isabella knew Edward understood she loved him, but he was just unsure and afraid to let her in.

With a deep sigh, Isabella stood up and took off her gardening gloves. After she dusted off her favorite pair of well-worn jeans, she made her way into her picture perfect home where she would make another attempt, in a long line of hundreds, thousands, to show Edward, again, that she loved him.

As she ascended the stairs to shower and get ready for her husband she said a prayer and hoped today would be the day it would be answered.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Okay, before you ask, I will NOT answer any questions about whether or not our Edward is going to indeed meet an early demise. It would compromise the entire story and take away from everything I am trying to do with this plot and these characters. All I can tell you is this…have faith in me! I am always a HEA girl and this story is so special to me, so I promise to make it worth your while if you stick with me!**

_**The Greatest Gift**_ **has the greatest blog…ever! PLEASE go check it out. My amazingly talented friend, Laurel has done a fantastic job with it and it's loaded, already, with so much good stuff! Take a look around, sign up to be a follower, sign up for email alerts…listen to the awesome playlist Ness has put together! You'll love it all. I will be posting teasers on there regularly, so check back frequently.**

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**The next update will be on Thursday followed by next Sunday. (For all you TPWC readers, outtake #1 will go up the same day. Check the blog for TPWC, I'll have a teaser up for you all later today!) After that, posting for TGG will be every Sunday. I'll be posting teasers on Monday on The Fictionators and the blog, so keep an eye out.**

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**Thanks for reading! Be sure to review and let me know what you thought of it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**WOW! You guys blew me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you so very much for giving my story a chance! I love you all so much!**

**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 2**

"So tell me again how this works," Edward spoke to the angel beside him.

They had weathered the storm and were now circling around O'Hare airport waiting for their turn to land. Seth informed Edward they would be in the air for at least another thirty minutes and he had already learned not to question what the big man said.

"What's so hard to figure out, Eddie?" Seth chuckled at him as he crossed his large leg over the other and regarded Edward with a grin. "I am always right, you are always wrong, and it would be in your best interest to do everything I say."

Edward scoffed at that statement and then settled back in his seat. "That is not what I meant and you know it. How do I go about this fixing things business? I'm just supposed to show up out of the blue and approach people whom years ago I did something wrong to?"

"Oh, Eddie, my boy, if only it were that easy!" Seth bellowed, and Edward scowled at him.

Being laughed at was certainly not something Edward Cullen was accustomed to, and he didn't enjoy it, not in the least.

"Well then, because apparently we've got time, why don't you just tell me what the plan is so I can get started," he grouched.

Seth regarded Edward for a moment and knew that he was about to burst Edward's self-deluded little bubble. If he thought a simple 'I'm sorry,' was going to work, he was very sadly mistaken. Seth chuckled softly to himself, _poor Edward_. He sure was in for a rather rude awakening.

"Edward Anthony, just off the top of my head, you have to work on repairing your relationship with your employees, your colleagues, your friends, the few you have managed to hang on to, your brother, your parents and most importantly, your wife," Seth ticked off, and smiled when the look of utter disgust crossed young Edward's face.

"You're telling me I have to do all that, plus others?" Edward cried pitifully. He shook his head and looked out the window. "No way," he stated unequivocally. "I won't do it. No way, no how. You said I had the option of free will, didn't you?" he challenged as he whipped his head around to stare at the man. "Well, I am exercising my right to say no," Edward said crossly.

"Then I guess I should best be on my way," Seth said with a sigh. "I had such high hopes for you, too, Edward Anthony Cullen. Give my regards to your lovely wife," Seth said as he gave Edward one last look.

_God damn it!_ Edward thought fiercely to himself. He didn't want to have to make a fool out of himself to all those people by apologizing. _Who's to say he did anything wrong in the first place?_ he stubbornly asked himself. But no matter how vehemently he tried to argue against it, he knew deep down that he owed apologies, more than apologies actually, to all those Seth had named.

And those were just the tip of the iceberg!

"Wait," Edward said resignedly. "Damn it, just wait!" he said again as he hung his head and rested it in his hands. "I'll do it. Whoever I need to make amends with, I will. It's time," he went on. "I know it is, but I'll need help."

"Edward, my boy, it's not like I'm sending you into the lion's den all alone. It's my job to help you, so no worries my young friend. While you might feel like you've gone a round or two with Muhammad Ali, great man by the way, it will be worth it in the end." Seth laughed heartily and filled his seat once more.

"Shit," Edward muttered to himself and hunched down in his seat like a petulant little child as he thought about the agonizing process he was about to undertake. Going over a quick mental list, he discerned there would be some amends that would be easier and quicker to make than others. He couldn't decide whether to approach those first and get them out of the way, or save them for last and start on the hard ones first.

Cursing his inability to continue blindly living the way he had been, Edward faced Seth once more. "So, any suggestions on where to start first?"

"Ah, well, the lovely Isabella Marie," Seth said giddily.

At the mention of his wife's name, Edward was once again filled with a sense of warmth and longing that took him by surprise. He was really, unexpectedly, looking forward to going home to see her.

"Why Isabella first?" Edward questioned as another glass of the miraculous amber liquid appeared on the tray in front of him.

Seth gazed at Edward, his icy blue eyes intense and said seriously, "She is the key to it all, Edward Anthony. Isabella is essential to your path to redemption. Without her, your efforts to correct your past deeds mean nothing. She is, without a doubt, the greatest gift you have ever been given, but she is also the one who you've wronged the most."

His words had a ring of truth to them that Edward found hard to dispute as they prickled uncomfortably at his conscience. Years of living in denial behind his carefully constructed walls, however, were not easy to shake. Edward knew he was a less than ideal husband, but that didn't stop him from wanting to deny both his feelings of guilt, and Seth's seemingly altruistic motives. Hell, no one in their right mind ever wanted to admit that they'd been wrong, and Edward Cullen was certainly no different. For years it had been easier to try to convince himself that Isabella was just another pretty face, even if deep down he knew there was much more to her than that. He was quite the master at keeping up the cool, aloof façade.

"Why is she so important? She's nothing out of the ordinary. A beautiful woman to be sure, but there's not much else there," Edward said dismissively with a wave of his hand and swig of his drink while all the while he cursed his subconscious for yelling at him for such a bold-faced lie.

Seth scoffed at him and shook his head. "Deluded fool. That is what you are, Eddie. Tell me, what exactly do you know about your bride of five years?"

Edward took another drink of the delicious scotch and enjoyed the warmth that spread through his body. "She's not much. Isabella, like I said, is a very beautiful woman. Anyone could tell you that. She's a good wife and when I need someone on my arm at a function or an event, she's the perfect decorative accessory. She's good in bed when I need to have sex. She seems to enjoy it, too, which I'm not fool enough to discount. She takes care of the house and takes care of herself. She is an excellent editor and seems to have a real knack for finding diamonds in the rough, which from a business sense, is most appreciated. All in all, she fulfills all of her duties more than satisfactorily, so I don't have any complaints."

Lies, all of it. Edward knew full well the amazing woman his wife was. The fact that he was an idiot and terrified of his own feelings for her notwithstanding, Isabella was truly the best person he'd ever met in his life. Knowing that, and still acting like the cold bastard he usually was with her, was almost criminal.

"Ah, I see," Seth said in a voice that had an undercurrent Edward couldn't describe. "Tell me, what do you think she does with her days when she is not editing her 'diamonds in the rough' for you and your company?"

Edward gave the question passing consideration before he answered. "I imagine she shops, has lunches with her girlfriends, reads her novels. I know she works out every day, and I also know she goes to Mass frequently. Other than that, not much. Like I said, there isn't much substance to her."

While it was true he didn't know what she did with her time when they weren't together or she wasn't at work, shopping and having long lunches did not seem like his wife. Why he was trying to lie to an angel, who he was positive could see right through his bullshit, he had no idea.

Self-preservation? Blind hope? Foolish wishes? Any of those would do, but still Edward stubbornly refused to admit anything.

"So she fits what you need her to be?" Seth asked pointedly and Edward nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Edward, Edward," Seth sighed. "How someone that possesses the extreme intelligence that God granted you and still be so clueless or purposefully obtuse is totally beyond even my advanced comprehension."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Edward demanded, affronted at the implied insult.

Seth shook his head at his young charge again and leaned in close to him. While it was true that no one could see or hear him except for Edward, he needed to convey what he was about to say with the utmost certainty. "Edward Anthony Cullen, in all of my years, and they are too numerous to count, I have never, ever encountered anyone as oblivious as you. You know nothing about Isabella Marie, nothing."

"What do you I mean I don't know anything about her? I've been married to the woman for five years, of course I know her," Edward stated, ignoring the pangs in his subconscious that tried to tell him that maybe he didn't, not really.

Edward knew he didn't know all there was to know about her, though. He held back just enough from her to protect himself and to keep himself from getting too close to her.

"You don't, and the fact that you don't..." Seth said with a glare that caused Edward to shrink away from the large man. "...makes you, and pardon my language, an asshole. And not just an asshole, but quite possibly the world's biggest asshole in the history of assholes," the angel stated with feeling.

"What it comes down to is this, Eddie; you don't know Isabella at all and because you don't, you don't have any idea how incredibly lucky you really are," Seth said decisively.

"I'm not an asshole," Edward grumbled querulously.

Seth snorted in response to his outburst but didn't say anything else for he could tell his assignment was deep in thought as he tried to find the hole in Seth's argument. Knowing he wouldn't be able to, Seth sat back in his seat, though the motion was completely unnecessary.

Being an angel had its advantages, and not having to be confined to set spaces was certainly near the top of the list, but he sat anyway.

Edward Cullen was certainly going to test him and his incredible abilities, Seth was sure. The man had years upon years of walls built up around himself and he hoped Isabella Marie had the fortitude to break through every last one of them. Seth knew, fully, the incredible woman Isabella Marie Swan Cullen was, having helped direct her toward Edward in the first place, but even at that, Seth couldn't help but be anxious that she would fail in her attempts.

Seth glanced at Edward again and smiled to himself as he watched the space between Edward's eyebrows dip due to the deep frown on his face. Yep, Seth thought happily, he was indeed trying to dispute Seth's observations but so far he hadn't been able to discount them at all.

Yes, Edward Anthony Cullen was going to be one tough nut to crack but Seth was going to do his damnedest to ensure that Edward was able to, when the time came, leave this world happy and most importantly at peace. He deserved no less after the heartache and pain he'd had to endure, most of which was still buried in the fortress where his heart also resided.

Isabella Swan Cullen certainly had her work cut out for her.

Edward shifted in his seat uncomfortably, alternating between wanting to hurry home to see his wife and dreading seeing her at the same time. _Was he that big of a blind asshole that he truly had no idea who Isabella really was?_ he thought to himself over and over _. Was he that wrapped up in his own life and his own pursuits that he didn't even bother to pay attention to the comings and goings of his own wife?_ Edward groaned and then shifted again as he realized the answers to both of those fucking questions was a resounding yes.

"Son of a bitch," Edward hissed lowly and hung his head when Seth laughed at him. A full, belly-rumbling laugh.

_"_ Damn angel," Edward muttered to himself.

"It's not a pleasant thought is it, Eddie?" Seth asked rhetorically.

"So tell me about her. Tell me what I've missed by being, as you so eloquently put it, the world's biggest asshole," Edward demanded as he looked out the window and wondered how much longer until they would be cleared for landing.

Edward didn't want to admit it, but he believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the plane would have crashed if Seth hadn't been there to intervene. It was a chilling thought and he thought, again, how utterly ridiculous it was that it took a near-death experience to make him face some unwelcome facts.

"We only have about fifteen more minutes until the pilot will get the all clear to land," Seth answered the silent question and Edward focused his much practiced glare at Seth.

"I thought you said you couldn't read my mind," Edward said accusingly.

Seth waved his hand dismissively and said, "We can't, but I am very good at reading people and your body language is screaming your dichotomous position. You want to go home and see your lovely bride but at the same time you are terrified of facing her knowing what you know now."

Edward refused to answer, which in turn spoke more clearly than words ever could, though Seth decided to let that observation pass without comment. He decided to instead talk a bit about his most favorite human, Isabella Marie.

"Isabella is perhaps, one of the most brilliant people you will ever meet, man or woman," Seth began quietly. "She is also one of the kindest, most gentle ones as well. She has a wicked sense of humor and she could beat just about anyone you know, including you, at soccer as well as golf," he went on and raised his eyebrow at the snort of disbelief Edward let forth.

"Are you sure you have the right Isabella? I'll give you the kind and gentle, but as for the rest, that is not my wife," Edward said to the angel.

Edward remembered during their time before they became engaged, Isabella speaking of her soccer playing days. He also recalled the look of longing she had on her face when she would recall a game or spending time with her father at the soccer fields playing and practicing. _Christ, he really could be a self-absorbed ass couldn't he_? he thought derisively to himself.

"I most certainly have the correct Isabella, Edward Anthony. All of what I have told you is true, and you would know it yourself if you wouldn't have been so focused on conquering her and instead got to know her and let's not even discuss your fear of intimacy," Seth calmly replied and grinned in satisfaction when Edward had the grace to look sufficiently chagrined.

"And as for your absurd statements about Isabella spending her time going to lunch and shopping, well I should knee you in the groin for making such a callous remark," Seth said disgustedly.

"You can do that?" Edward fearfully asked, truly afraid of the pain such a gesture would bring about. The fact that he deserved it didn't really help, either.

"I could," Seth said succinctly. "But I won't, at least not this time. Let's get something straight, boy, before I fill you in on the incredibleness that is your wife. I may be an otherworldly being who has been sent to help you find your redemption, but that does not mean that I won't kick your ass if it comes right down to it," the large man growled to Edward. "I am quite sure I don't fit into the mold of what you believe my kind to typically be, which I am quite positive is why I was the one chosen for this task. You are an ass and a selfish bastard, Edward Anthony Cullen, and I won't hesitate to tell you as often as I see fit. Do you understand where I'm coming from?" Seth questioned with a quirk of his eyebrow.

_What the hell had he gotten himself into?_ Edward wondered. Jesus, he did not relish the thought of having a continued presence reminding him of what an asshole he'd been. He briefly considered whether or not this whole endeavor was worth all this unpleasantness in the end.

"It's worth it, Edward," Seth said as he watched his companion.

Rather than try to decipher again how the being knew what he was thinking, Edward responded back honestly, "Yes, I imagine that it is."

"Now with the brief time we have left before I have to help the pilot land this monstrosity let me tell you more about the fair Isabella. She is, as you know, the best editor you have in your employ. She is amazingly in tune with what readers will respond to and she is an extremely talented writer in her own right. You know perfectly well Isabella has never been one to just casually shop for clothes, which you can most assuredly be able to tell from your bank account. The both of you have more than plenty of money that she could easily live the life of leisure you assume she does, if she chose to do, which we both know she does not. When she is not working either at home or at the office, you can usually find her in one of two places. Isabella volunteers as a tutor at an elementary school in Evanston for underprivileged children where she is the most beloved of all the volunteers. She bakes cookies for the children and reads to them and helps the older ones with their homework. If she is not at the school then you can find her outside in her garden. Isabella spends time with her mother and grandmother and even occasionally your mother and sister-in-law. Between her work, volunteer work, and her gardening, there isn't much free time left for her to have lunches or shop as you so idiotically said. She is a self-sufficient woman, Edward, and one that has been neglected by you for far too long."

Edward shook his head as he tried to process all of that information. There was no way, no way in hell he had misjudged her so horribly…was there?

Apparently he had because everything in him screamed that Seth was telling him nothing but the absolute truth, besides angels can't lie. Seth had told him so. Which meant that yes, he was indeed, the biggest asshole in the history of the world. Not to mention that whole neglectful, scared thing he had going on as well.

"Oh, and one more tidbit to leave you with before I must concentrate on getting us safely to the ground," Seth said as he shrewdly regarded Edward. "Isabella Marie loves you with her entire being. You are the center of her universe and though you have spent the past five years with your head so far up your ass you needed an angel to help you see the light so to speak, she loves you even more today than she did the day she gave herself to you."

With that, Seth closed his eyes to concentrate on helping the dangerously inexperienced pilot land the large aircraft. If humans knew how hard angels had to work on a daily basis to protect them from things like this, it would be a miracle if anyone flew ever again.

Though the lightning and thunder had stopped, the winds were still howling and it was apparent to Edward that the pilot had not one fucking clue as to what he was doing. Because of that, he kept quiet and let Seth work his…magic or whatever the hell it was, so that he could go home to his wife. Edward glanced around the first class cabin and noticed that, without fail, everyone had begun to worry about making it to the ground safely and as the plane pitched forward once again, he heard a collective gasp from the passengers. Finally he heard the sound of the landing gear being lowered and then shortly after, felt the ground meet the wheels in a grinding, cringing way.

All of the passengers, Edward included, let out a united sigh of relief as the pilot traveled down the runway, hitting every damn bump he possibly could.

"Can't you do something about that idiot?" Edward demanded as he was slammed harshly against the back of his seat for the umpteenth time.

Seth shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not my job once we land. We're lucky we made it to the ground as it is."

Edward gaped at the big man, wanting to ask what the hell good it did to have a guardian angel…being…person if he couldn't do something about the fool in the cockpit, but he grudgingly admitted that landing safely was imminently more important.

Once the plane came to a stop on the tarmac all the passengers, including Edward, stood up to hurriedly gather their things and get off the infernal plane.

"Edward, you might want to wait just a moment," Seth advised causing Edward to stop just in time for the plane to pitch forward one last time, causing numerous passengers to trip and fall, as well as spilling luggage from overhead compartments.

Edward caught the flight attendant's eyes and smirked as she rolled her eyes.

"Much better, Edward. You don't have to act like a hunter all the time stalking his prey. You can be infinitely charming when you want to be, but you don't have to use it to get something in return you know. Might be something for you to consider in the future," Seth said with a wink.

Edward was convinced that that particular topic would be discussed again in more depth very soon.

"Damn angel," Edward grumbled…again.

It seemed like that was a phrase that would become a staple in his vocabulary.

When Edward glanced down by his feet, his carry-on was there, waiting for him.

"Neat trick," Edward harrumphed as he watched the remaining first class passengers push and prod their way off the damnable aircraft.

"I have my uses every now and then," the angel said.

Edward had no comment for him but instead rolled his eyes. It amazed him how seamlessly he had accepted the presence of Seth as he exited the aircraft. Accepting things at face value was not something that was a normal occurrence for him. Usually he was quick to look for ulterior motives and hidden agendas. The fact that he didn't do that with this particular situation was telling.

"Well, that was quite the adventure," Edward commented to the young flight attendant as he passed her on his way to exit the plane.

She smiled at him, graciously and endearingly, and replied back, "Thankfully we all made it to the ground safely. I hope we see you again soon, Mr. Cullen. Thank you for flying with us."

"There may be hope for you yet," Seth commented as they made their way through the airport and out the front door where Edward's car and driver were blessedly waiting to take him home.

Edward really needed to stop by the office and do some work, but that longing feeling he'd had on the plane remained. He was very anxious to see Isabella. Edward was usually ready to get home, even though Isabella would never know or believe that, after a business trip. He knew he didn't behave as he should with her, but like her unexplained feelings toward him, he had the same in regard to her. Just being in the same vicinity as her had a way of calming him, of making him feel less alone than he normally felt. He didn't understand it, but he was very well aware of how he felt when he was home with her.

"What am I supposed to say to her?" Edward fearfully asked Seth once they were on the way home.

Seth arranged his large frame in the comfortable backseat of the sleek, black Cadillac Escalade that had arrived to pick up Edward and took a moment before he answered him. "As much as I hate to say this," Seth hesitantly began, "I'm not at all sure what to tell you."

Poor Edward gaped at the being, opening and closing his mouth numerous times which in turn made him look quite like a fish. A very annoyed, bordering on furious fish, but a fish nonetheless.

Seth had to try extremely hard to keep a serene façade, but inside the angel was laughing at the poor man. It was really quite humorous to see the normally calm, cool, and collected Edward Cullen reduced to a state of incoherency just thinking about going home to his adorable, diminutive wife.

"What the hell do you mean you're not sure?" Edward shrieked and Seth fought to keep from smiling again.

"Edward Anthony, just calm down right now! Damn, boy, you act like you've never talked to a woman before," Seth admonished, which caused Edward to turn a shade of red that the angel wasn't sure even had a name.

Edward ran a hand through the mess of bronze hair on his head and then pinched the bridge of his nose tightly between his thumb and index finger in a show of frustration that he had used since he could remember.

"Well, if what you say is the truth and my salvation depends on Isabella, how the hell do I talk to her now? Especially after all you've told me about how much of an ass I've been to her for all these years. The woman must positively despise me," Edward muttered softly as we watched the Chicago landscape pass by in a blur.

Edward swiped at the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes and then cursed himself for the show of weakness. At the age of thirty-five he could count the number of times he'd shed a tear on one hand and he'd still have fingers left when he was done. Self-preservation instincts often made one hardened and cold, not to mention afraid of opening up for fear of being hurt. Edward was no different in that regard, and he'd spent close to twenty years perfecting it.

Edward Cullen didn't cry, ever, but the tears he felt a moment ago returned again as he thought about his wife. Damn, he'd been such a blind bastard for the past five years, seeing only what he chose to see. While he was busy trying to bury himself in work and entertain himself with meaningless business endeavors, Isabella remained hopeful and loyal, at least according to the being beside him.

Though believing she hadn't truly been would make Edward feel marginally better, he knew Seth was correct. Not just because angels couldn't lie, but because he knew deep in his heart and soul that it was the truth. However blind, ignorant, and stubborn Edward had been for the past five years, he knew fundamentally that Isabella Marie was inherently…good.

"She should kick my arrogant, self-deluded ass," Edward sighed and threw his head back against the headrest.

"Indubitably." Seth snickered as he fiddled with the radio until he found a station that was playing a serene song that filled the car with its calming measures.

Edward let himself drift off with the notes, hoping that somehow, someway, he would be able to right the wrongs he'd perpetrated against her.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

During Edward's rather interesting flight home, Isabella Cullen prepared a feast fit for a king, or at the very least, a weary Fortune 500 CEO.

Deciding to make a traditional Italian meal, Isabella moved around her gourmet kitchen with a grace and efficiency even the most well-renowned chefs would admire. She began with a traditional antipasto with meats, cheeses and olives, accompanied with fresh bruschetta and crusty bread. Once that was plated and wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator, Isabella moved onto the main course which would be Portobello stuffed ravioli with a smoky, creamy Alfredo and sun-dried tomato sauce. She tossed a salad together with homemade dressing and chose a bottle of red wine from the wine cellar. Knowing her husband, even though the meals they ate together were few and far between, Isabella decided on mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. It was Edward's favorite, and after such an exhausting day of meetings and travel followed by the heavy meal, ice cream was the perfect end to his day.

Once the food was in the oven to warm and the rest in the fridge to stay cool, Isabella went upstairs to shower and change her clothes. As she stood under the shower and washed her mahogany hair with her coconut-lime scented shampoo she tried to remember the last meal she and Edward shared together, and with a pang of regret that was abnormally acute, she realized she couldn't even remember.

Isabella cooked every night for him, but it was usually left in the oven to stay warm for him to eat when he got home from the office. Because they slept in separate bedrooms and had for years now, she had usually retired to her room by the time he made it home. If she wasn't in her room already, Edward would sprint past her in the sitting room, up the stairs to his own room for the night, skipping dinner completely. Oh, they had the occasional meal together and spoke of their days as a normal couple would. There were evenings when they even went out, maybe to dinner or to the theater. Those were the times that Isabella was privy to the Edward Cullen that most never saw.

Sighing, Isabella finished her bathing routine, complete with conditioner for her shoulder length hair and shaving until she was smooth all over. She tried not to let herself get her hopes up for Edward's return in a few hours, but she couldn't help it. The trip had been so unexpected. She didn't have time to really even tell him goodbye and coupled with the storm she knew he had flown through, Isabella was feeling particularly anxious to see him.

Not that the sight of him wasn't always welcome, because Lord knew that the man was drop dead gorgeous, but right now all she really wanted to do was make sure he was all right. She dressed with Edward in mind when she put on a pair of silky navy blue lace panties and matching bra. She also put on a pair of soft gray Capri yoga pants and slipped a black tank top over her head. She used the blow dryer to style her hair until it fell across her shoulders in soft, smooth waves. After applying a minimal amount of makeup, which consisted only of a bit of mascara and lip gloss, she sprayed her favorite perfume on her small wrists and her graceful neck and slipped a pair of sandals on her delicate feet and made her way back downstairs. She checked the food again, poured a glass of wine, and then walked to the living room to turn on the stereo. The sounds of John Legend's soulful voice filled the room until she flipped the switch that would play the music outside on the deck.

Isabella picked up the manuscript she was currently editing and took it and her wine outside to sit on the comfortable chaise. The evening had just begun to cool and a soft breeze flitted across her skin; a remnant of the earlier storm. She lit a few candles for ambiance and settled in the chaise to work until her husband returned home.

Edward arrived at the house in Evanston shortly after Isabella fell asleep in the fading afternoon sun and as he approached his front door he realized he was blessedly alone. Thankfully Seth took his leave to let Edward and Isabella have their reunion in private. Not that Edward didn't believe that the annoyingly persistent and smug angel wasn't lurking somewhere keeping tabs on his every move.

With his hand on the doorknob Edward once again felt the shattering feeling as he remembered the events of the past few hours. Did he really spend an hour and half airplane flight talking to an angel? Did he really agree to change his life after he almost died in a plane crash that said angel saved him from? Was he really going to die sometime soon? Did he really not know his wife at all? Was he really the world's biggest asshole? As Edward set his bag down by the stairs and then smelled the delicious aroma that wafted from the kitchen he grudgingly admitted the answer to all of the preceding questions was a categorical yes.

But, Edward told himself, he would wait to explore all those questions and more until after he saw his wife. _Where the hell was she?_ he muttered to himself as he poured himself a glass of the wine Isabella had left on the island. Reluctantly he admitted that she had no way of knowing when he would arrive because he had callously disregarded the need to call her and let her know. He walked to the refrigerator and opened the door letting out a small moan of appreciation when he spied the platter of antipasto Isabella had so skillfully prepared. He peeked in the oven and his mouth watered at the sight of his favorite dish bubbling inside.

Edward was, by this time, almost mad with his need to see his bride and it was the music playing that filtered in through the French doors that tipped him off to her whereabouts. Immediately he heard the words of the annoying angel person as he informed him of her love of gardening. As he stepped out onto the deck his eyes opened in surprise and his heart literally stopped beating from sheer delight and surprise.

The first thing Edward noticed was the massive explosion of color in his backyard. Flowers and bushes of every size and color lovingly flourished along beds, up trellises and in pots. The aroma was heavenly and Edward was in awe of the sight before him. _How in the hell had he missed all of this?_ he wondered again for the umpteenth time.

The second thing that Edward noticed was by far the most enchanting. There his wife lay, sleeping peacefully in the chaise while the wind kissed her skin with its soft breeze. Isabella Marie was the most exquisite and magnificent creature he had ever laid eyes on and his heart filled with so many different things he couldn't name them all if he tried. Need, want, shame, guilt, but most of all love.

Deep, wondrous, everlasting love.

Edward looked at her again and this time paid attention to what she was wearing. She looked so beautiful and he could tell from the way her hair was arranged and her lips shone in the fading sunlight that she had dressed for him, hoping that this time things might be different between them. At twenty-nine she didn't look any different today than she did the day she first walked into his life. In all matter-of-fact, she was even lovelier now having spent years exercising and taking care of her body.

He'd been such a damn fool.

But there was time for recriminations later. Now he wanted to make love to his wife.

As if she could tell he was there, Isabella opened her eyes and stared at her husband.

"Hello, love. It's so nice to see you," Edward whispered as he ran his fingers down the side of her cheek and bent down to kiss her.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Okay, so he's not quite as bad as he appears! He has a long way to go, though, keep that in mind. Isabella and our wonderful Seth will have their work cut out for them, that's for sure! And yes, as you can tell, there will be a lemon coming up in the next chapter!**

**Next update will be Sunday...remember what I said right off the bat, have faith in me okay? I'm a HEA girl through and through, I promise. Watch for the teaser for Sunday's chapter...it will be posted on the blog tomorrow!**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**WOW! You guys blew me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I know there are a lot of mixed feelings on our Edward, but try to keep an open mind, okay?**

**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 3**

"Edward, what…are you all right?" Isabella asked her husband as she shook her head and wondered what was going on.

Her question was quelled quickly as Edward's mouth covered hers and she was given a kiss like one she hadn't gotten in some time. It was full of love and need and infinite tenderness and it immediately brought tears to her lovely brown eyes. His lips met her soft ones and he expertly teased and prodded until she opened her mouth to allow him entrance. Edward tried to not let the feelings that were swarming around him completely overwhelm him, but it was hard now that he was finally here with her.

In the back of his mind he knew that he was acting completely out of character. He knew there would be questions he didn't want to answer. He knew that right there, right then, was the beginning of a painful process that he would have to undertake; that he would have to admit to his past actions and that there was every possibility that Isabella would never forgive him, no matter how good and forgiving a person she was.

For right now though, none of that mattered. What did matter was the woman in his arms and the one he needed more than ever before.

"Edward," Isabella breathed out in delighted surprise when it became necessary for him to release her mouth to allow them both a much needed breath.

"Isabella," Edward responded back to her as his large hand cupped her now pink cheek. He grinned in satisfaction as he watched his gorgeous wife melt against his hand and sigh deeply. He sat down next to her on the oversized chaise and drank in the sight of her.

"You are so beautiful," Edward said on a sigh as he ran his long fingers through her silky hair. As he watched the strands slide between his fingers, he wondered how he managed to go days or weeks without feeling the exquisite softness. Immediately following, he wondered how he was ever going to manage to go hours or hell even minutes without touching it.

Isabella gasped at both the gesture and the words. They were both beautiful and for any other woman, probably things that were heard with, at the very least, some frequency, but as she quickly went through her mind she couldn't remember the last time he'd been so complimentary.

In the five years they had been married it wasn't often that Edward showed such outward affection for his wife and Isabella was immediately alarmed, thinking that something had to have precipitated his certainly uncharacteristic mood.

Maybe he'd gotten bad news while he was away? Maybe he was sick and delirious with fever? Maybe he'd taken some sort of mind-altering drug?

Isabella shook her head as the ridiculous thoughts raced through her mind but she knew something had changed in her husband. She could feel it in the gentleness of his touch and could see it in the emerald green eyes that seemed to glow in the fading sunlight.

"Are you finished?" Edward questioned as he pointed to the manuscript that lay across her toned stomach.

Isabella nodded at him and he chuckled softly quite amused at her inability to speak. He knew, of course, that he had taken her completely by surprise. He could kick himself in the ass for allowing the mesmerizing woman in front of him to be so shocked by a mere compliment and sweet gesture.

_Damn, he had a lot of making up to do_ , Edward thought to himself.

Edward gently lifted the stack of papers from her and set them down carefully on the deck so as to not lose her place in her work. He stared down at her, for a moment completely speechless, as Isabella looked at him with eyes full of wonder and hope.

There was so fucking much he wanted, he _needed_ to say to her but he couldn't even form a coherent thought in his mind. His heart was beating so loudly he was positive it was going to explode out of his chest. His hands shook and his stomach was tied in knots. His wife, his life's partner, laid before him, had been waiting for him to return. Even after the horrid way he had treated her at times since they'd been married, she was willing to let him make love to her.

He was blown away by the strength of her commitment to him and to their marriage. So much so he was almost overcome by his shame in allowing himself to be so thoughtless and neglectful to her.

Almost.

His need for her, his need to claim her again as a husband claims a wife quickly pushed all those thoughts away. Oh, he had no doubt they would return, but for now the ache for his wife outweighed anything else.

"I'm going to make love to you now, my beautiful Isabella," Edward said softly as he moved his body so that he had one knee on the chaise beside her as he bent down to capture her velvety lips in a scorching kiss.

Isabella's mind was a chaotic mess as she tried to reconcile the man kissing her with wild abandon to the man who left the house just a few short days ago. The one that left was hardened, closed off from everyone, and difficult. The one that was currently turning her body into a pile of mush and made wetness pool between her thighs was infinitely gentle, passionate, and needy.

Edward moved his lips from his wife's and placed them along the delicate expanse of her neck. His tongue swirled and licked and he couldn't remember tasting anything so divine in all his life. Even the angelic scotch he'd consumed paled in comparison to the taste of Isabella.

_What the hell had been the matter with him_ , Edward chastised his dumb ass…again. He was positive that if he berated himself from sunup to sundown from today until when his time was up, he wouldn't even come close to the amount of derision he deserved.

With quick, sure movements Edward slid his hands across the toned muscles of Isabella's stomach and then inched them higher until they covered her breasts. He could feel her heart beating in a cadence that matched his own, and while it made him achingly sad, it also filled him with joy.

The fact that she still allowed him to touch her, to make love to her after the pain and heartbreak she had to have felt at his thoughtlessness, astounded him. Edward vowed to himself, without the need of a reminder from the annoying angel person, that he would spend whatever time he had left on this Earth, be it days, weeks, or months, loving and adoring his wife.

His Isabella.

The words spoken reverently, though only in his mind, swept through every part of his body and filled him with such a sense of completeness he wasn't sure he was strong enough to keep the intense feelings from bursting forth. That connection, that unknown, unexplainable feeling he got whenever he was near her was present, and this time it felt like a living, breathing force. He didn't understand it, but had come to accept it, but he knew he'd never felt its presence as he did now. He had never allowed himself to feel it before now.

Isabella watched her husband through lust-filled eyes and was stunned at the sight before her. Edward was an inhumanly beautiful man but looking at him now was almost painful. Without the mask that he carefully and fastidiously wore everyday to protect himself from whatever horrors he kept locked inside, he took her breath away. His eyes weren't guarded; instead they blazed with so much emotion she felt like she was being hypnotized. The jaw that was usually held firm was relaxed and when she reached up and ran her fingers along the length of it, they left a trail of molten fire in their wake.

Edward sighed in contentment at the feel of her feather-soft fingertips and was shocked when the fingers that were caressing him also trembled.

"Isabella, love, are you cold?" Edward questioned his wife as he ran his hands along the skin under her tank top. Beneath his fingers he felt her skin break out in goosebumps and he immediately chastised himself for allowing his needs and wants to come before her comfort.

Never again, he reminded himself sternly. Never again would her feelings be disregarded.

Edward moved to get up but she surprised him by grasping his arms to hold him in place.

Isabella didn't want the moment to end. She wasn't the least bit cold. In fact, where Edward's hands moved, her skin felt like it was on fire. Desire burned deep and profound inside of her and she would be damned if she let this moment go. She had no idea what was going on with her husband, but for the first time in much too long, he looked at her with love in his eyes and she was determined to enjoy whatever the hell this was, for however long it lasted.

"Edward, no, sweetheart." Isabella gently shook her head. "I'm not cold at all."

"You're sure?" he questioned, needing to make sure she was comfortable.

She nodded her head. The brown hair that framed her heart-shaped face fell across her tiny shoulders and covered her sinfully sexy collarbones. Edward felt something primal stir within him and he bent forward trailing hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses from her shoulder across her collarbones and up her neck.

"I need you, Isabella," he breathed out into her ear as he let his tongue curl around her earlobe.

Isabella groaned wantonly in her throat, the feel of Edward's glorious tongue against her skin sent tingles to the place between her legs that ached to feel his touch. Feeling bolder than normal due to Edward's strange but welcomed behavior, she shifted her body and arched against him. She reached her trembling hands up and ran them through his hair. She placed her lips next to his ear where she whispered in a voice that was so full of all she was feeling…love, lust, want, need, hope… "Then take me, Edward."

Needing no further encouragement from his wife than that, Edward frantically removed her top and then her pants. His eyes devoured her when the garments were thrown haphazardly to the side and his breath caught in his throat. The navy blue scraps of lace Isabella had picked out for her husband did their job well, as he was not only breathless, but speechless. The dark blue stood out starkly against her flawless pale skin. The candles that flickered in the night breeze cast a glow that danced across her body and made her look more otherworldly than human.

She was, without a doubt, the most magnificent being Edward had ever laid his eyes on and quite unexpectedly the sight brought tears to his eyes.

"Edward," Isabella whispered softly, pulling him from the trance he'd found himself in. "Are you okay?" she asked in a voice laced with worry.

She reached up to touch him as he bent over her. Her fingers traced the lines across his forehead and down the side of his face and across his cheekbones. Her thumbs wiped the tender skin beneath his eyes, and Isabella was shocked when she felt the wetness of his tears. "Edward, what has happened? Is everything all right?"

He couldn't speak, too overcome with emotion, but he didn't want this moment to be about anything but them coming together so he placed his lips over hers and kissed her deeply.

"Shh, Isabella. Nothing in this moment is more important than you," he said when he'd finally gotten control of his spiraling emotions.

"Let me make love to you. Please? I need you so badly," he told her as he pressed the evidence of his need against her thigh as he hovered over top of her small frame.

Isabella reacted in a most pleasurable way when she felt him shift along her body. The friction each of their movements created caused them each to groan into the other's mouth as they kissed again. Edward began fumbling with the buttons of his dress shirt and was somewhat shocked when she placed her hands on top of his to still his movements.

"Let me do that. You'll rip the shirt if you don't slow down," Isabella stated and then blushed adorably as she slipped the first button through the hole. When her fingers ghosted over his chest, Edward sucked in a sharp breath and reached down to stop her.

"Fuck the shirt," he hissed as he grabbed it and flung it open. The sounds of the buttons plinking across the wooden deck mixed with the sounds of the music floating out of the speakers. When Isabella looked up into the eyes of her husband, the emerald green she was so used to had changed to almost black. If she didn't know him as well as she did she might very well be afraid of him, but she knew he would never hurt her, physically at least.

Edward lifted himself away from her, but only so he could quickly rid himself of his pants and boxers.

Isabella watched her husband with hungry eyes and didn't even try to stop her breathing as it began coming in quicker, shorter bursts. She wanted him, desperately so, and having him here in front of her, with the same need and want she felt, was almost too much for her.

He laid down again, pressing his body firmly against hers and Isabella and Edward both felt as if their bodies were fused together. His lips claimed hers again and his tongue dipped slowly into her waiting mouth. Once, twice, a third time. Each time, they twirled and twisted their tongues against the other, relishing in the feelings the intimate act brought forth.

_Holy hell_ , Edward thought in some part of his brain. He flicked his tongue purposefully against hers and the sound that came from her caused his erection to grow even harder against her. A feat he thought was surely impossible.

"Isabella, please love, I need to be inside of you," he panted as he began to rock against the smooth skin of her thigh.

Edward reached down on the side of the chaise and released the lever that would lower them back down and as he did he moved so he was fully settled between her thighs. _Christ_ , he thought to himself, she's so damn wet and warm already. As his mouth descended and he took a hard nipple in between his lips he wondered, yet again, how he was going to be able to go without touching her, tasting her, feeling her for any length of time ever again.

He continued with his ministrations moving from one breast to the next, teasing and tasting until Isabella was a writhing mess beneath him. Her legs spread wider to allow him to press himself even more fully against her and he couldn't help the groan that escaped his mouth when the scent of her arousal filled the air around them.

Again, he was the biggest asshole in the world. How he ever managed to make love to the woman beneath him and then retire to his bed, alone, had to be one of the stupidest and most asinine things he'd ever done in his wretched life.

Edward pushed those thoughts, and the thoughts of angels, and airplanes, and mistakes far, far away and concentrated on his wife beneath him. He was hard and aching, and she was wet and wanting, and there was no more time to waste.

He reached between their bodies and hastily pushed the fragile lace panties down Isabella's legs and then reached behind her back, taking the time to brush his fingertips across the sensitive skin to unclasp her bra and slipped it down her shoulders.

"You are absolutely breathtaking, Isabella," he whispered fervently allowing himself only a moment to memorize the sight of her, naked and glorious, in the fading sunlight before he entered her in one, swift motion.

As he completely filled her, Edward tried to focus on his wife but he couldn't. There were too many things floating in and out of his mind for him to be able to do anything except feel. The falling apart feeling from the plane settled over him as he continued to move in and out of her. He was so overwhelmed he couldn't decide if he wanted to yell out in ecstasy or cry out in shame for all the mistakes he'd made.

Isabella was freefalling. There was no other word to describe the way her body felt right at the moment. She wrapped her legs tightly around Edward's waist and with every thrust into her she raised her hips instinctively to meet him. Hips ground against hips, lips crashed against lips and fingers plunged in hair of brown and hair of bronze.

"Oh, Edward. Yes…so good, you feel so good," she panted as her tiny hands gripped the muscles that flexed in his biceps.

All it took was one look into the brown eyes beneath him and nothing else existed, nothing else mattered, except for her. All the thoughts he'd just had disappeared as Isabella's sweet cries of pleasure filled the air around them.

"That's it, Isabella. Let it go, love. Let me hear you come," he whispered as his hips swiveled and moved against her.

Her body was slick with sweat and her center was positively dripping wet as Edward slid fluidly in and out of her. She had never felt anything like it before, not even on her wedding night or during their honeymoon. Not any time since, either. Whatever was happening to them right then was on a whole other level of ecstasy, the likes of which she couldn't even have begun to imagine.

Isabella reached up and clutched Edward's shoulders as her orgasm continued to build until suddenly it exploded and she shattered in her husband's arms.

"Edward…oh God…it's too much…oh yes," she muttered incoherently as she came again, this time with such a force that all she saw was a blinding white light.

"Yes, Isabella…oh fuck…I'm coming," he panted against her neck as he released inside of her.

Their mutual release left them in a boneless, limp state as they continued to hold each other. He was never one for cuddling after having sex with Isabella, but today he couldn't move if he wanted to. His fingers ran up and down her arms and he placed numerous kisses along her shoulders and cheeks.

Isabella may have been a virgin on her wedding night, but after numerous talks with her Nonna and her mother before the day arrived, she had been given more advice than she cared to hear. She was well aware of the night time activities of Charlie and Renée Swan and her closest friend, Angela, had told her many stories of her experiences with her long-time boyfriend, Ben. She'd read about more sex than Charlie would ever want to know about. She'd seen it on television and heard it sung about in songs.

She may have chosen to save herself to give to her husband on their wedding night but that did not make her a prude. Nor did it make her shy when it came to the act itself. Isabella was eager and excited to experience sex and as Edward undressed her in the middle of their Honeymoon Suite in the Grand Hotel in Rome, she happily let her husband take her virginity. He had been surprisingly tender and gentle with her and in turn she had been willing and enthusiastic. As has happened throughout all of time, the first time ended with a bit of pain and a bit of blood.

Due to the long flight to Italy preceded by the intimate but extravagant wedding Edward and Isabella had had, making love one time was all their exhausted bodies could manage. However, they more than made up for the egregious mistake during the remainder of their stay in Rome. Edward had promised Isabella he would take her to all the museums, cathedrals, shopping centers, and restaurants they could fit in their two week honeymoon, but managed only a trip to the Vatican during their time in Italy. The remainder of it was spent making love on every surface imaginable in the suite, not to mention the pool, the elevator, and a few others as well.

Edward was more than pleasantly surprised by his new bride's voracious sexual appetite. While no one would ever dare call Edward Cullen a demonstrative man, the two weeks he spent in Italy with his newly-deflowered wife could honestly be categorized as the happiest days he'd ever spent. Perhaps it was the freedom from responsibilities or the distance from the painful reminders of his past that allowed him a brief respite from his normally staid life.

The return flight to Chicago was long and made to feel even longer still as Isabella watched with horrified eyes as her husband turned from carefree and buoyant to closed off and cold. Gone were the tender touches, the casual looks, or the presses of soft kisses to her temple for no apparent reason. In its place was restraint and aloofness and Isabella cried herself to sleep their first night in their new home in Evanston.

Edward heard her of course; they did begin their marriage sharing the same bed at night. However his work schedule, though it was by choice that he was at the office until all hours of the night, coupled with his pretended indifference gave Isabella the push she needed to leave their bedroom and make her own in the room down the hall.

It was a gradual thing, slowly building after years of sporadic intimacy. They made love with a somewhat regular occurrence. It wasn't as frequent as she wished, though. It was almost as if Edward felt it was easier to be close to her while they were making love than by spending a night with her curled up on the couch watching a movie. Isabella tried to talk to him about it on numerous occasions. She got angry, really angry sometimes, and Edward was shown up close and personal just how volatile her temper could be when pushed to her limit. When that didn't work she tried to talk to him calmly. She tried to talk to him in the middle of and after making love, but the moment the subject of his reluctance to share all of himself with her was brought up, he immediately shut down and would remain that way until he felt less cornered.

It really had just gotten to the point where it was too painful to sleep in the same bed as him and feel like he was miles away, so she left. She didn't want to, no woman would ever want such a thing to happen, but it was really the only way she could protect herself from the pain his actions continually caused her. Again, it was less than ideal, and whenever Isabella felt like she had reached the end of her patience with him, her heart would literally feel like it was breaking when she tried to imagine her life without him in it.

He never acknowledged the move outwardly, but the first night alone in his bedroom he paced the hallway more times than could be counted. He would pause every single time at her new bedroom door, poised to knock and beg her to return. And every time he would berate himself for being a cold, heartless bastard, and a scared fucking idiot, and resume his pacing.

_So much time wasted_ , Edward said to himself and he tried to rid himself of the unpleasant thoughts that threatened to come to the forefront.

Once their bodies returned to a normal state, Edward found himself missing being inside of his wife. It was a new feeling and one that would require further examination at a later time. The night had turned a bit cooler and he shifted them so that he lay beside her and was able to wrap an arm around her and pull her close to him. She instinctively curled her tiny body toward his and cuddled against his side, laying her head comfortingly above his heart.

Isabella had no idea what was happening or what had caused her Edward to act in such an uncharacteristic manner but she didn't care at the moment. All she knew was that for the first time in a long time, Edward didn't immediately leave after their lovemaking. He was holding her and if she wasn't mistaken, he was just as loathe to be away from her as she was him. She felt herself being lulled to sleep by the feel of Edward's fingers running through her hair and the soft music playing in the background.

"I love you, Edward," she breathed out just before sleep claimed her.

Edward stopped his movements when he heard the soft words escape her mouth and his heart contracted painfully in his chest. Those four words, so simple really, but so profound at the same time.

"She does, too, you know?" Seth said, materializing beside where Edward lay with Isabella.

A blanket immediately appeared to cover the both of them and Edward had to fight back the jealous urge that flared at the thought of anyone seeing his wife in such a state. Even if that other person…wasn't a person at all.

Once he was able to shift his body and ensure Isabella's privacy, he turned to the annoying being.

"I know she does," Edward murmured softly.

He squirmed under the angel's incessant stare. Seth regarded his charge, noting with distinct pleasure his relaxed features and calm demeanor. There was something different about Edward and Seth was sure he knew what it was, even though as he promised, the reunion between Edward and the delightful Isabella was private between the two of them.

"You love her, too, yes?" Seth questioned with a smirk.

"Without question," Edward answered immediately, filled with too many emotions to even give them all a name.

"So why didn't you tell her?" the angel asked.

Tonight, Edward noticed, the big man was dressed casually. He had on a pair of khaki cargo shorts, a Chicago Cubs t-shirt and red, white, and black Nike Air Max's were on his large feet. He had on a Cubs hat, turned backward, and he reminded Edward of his brother, Emmett.

A sudden wave of nostalgia wafted over him and like with Isabella, Edward suddenly wanted to see his brother. Their relationship was strained due to his mercurial nature but the easygoing Emmett loved his brother with all his heart. Edward was well aware of that fact, though again like with his wife, he didn't usually acknowledge it. Instead, like was his nature to do, he kept himself from getting too close.

A twenty year pattern of behavior was a very difficult thing to deviate from.

Edward attended Emmett's wedding to his Rosie but never showed up for the births of either of their children. He was absent the days Father O'Connor baptized each one. Edward did not know that Emmett had desperately wanted him to be the godfather to his son Jack, but Rosie convinced him that it made no sense to even ask him. Isabella attended both baptisms, accompanied by her parents and grandmother. Isabella was even Emma's godmother. Edward's best friend, hell one of his only friends, Jasper, was Emma's godfather. According to Jasper, he was just filling in until Edward pulled his head out of his ass and then Jasper would willingly give Edward the duties that should be his in the first place.

While Edward lived his life blindly, hiding from those around him for the most part, his family never stopped loving him. His behavior had scarred them all deeply and though no one was privy to the dark places inside of Edward, everyone knew they existed. Isabella wasn't even privy to the demons Edward fought within himself.

Edward was adopted by Carlisle and Esme Cullen when he was fourteen-years-old. When he arrived at the Cullen household after a quick and very necessary adoption, Emmett had already been adopted by the wonderful duo many years before. Emmett was adopted when he was only two and never knew his biological parents. Emmett loved his parents, he truly did, but he was lonely being an only child. Carlisle and Esme had discussed adopting another child numerous times, but whenever it came time to contact their lawyer and begin preparations something always held them back.

It was if they were waiting for a sign and it came in the form of their nephew, Edward. He was the son of Esme's estranged sister, Maggie, and her husband, Liam. At the time of their death, the facts of which only Edward knew, Esme hadn't spoken a word to her sister since before Edward was born. Maggie had had a falling out with her father over her relationship with Liam, and when forced to choose between her family or her love, like any headstrong seventeen-year-old girl, she chose the man.

Edward had endured years and years of despair by the time he went to live with the aunt and uncle he'd only heard about and it had caused severe damage to him. Edward was reserved, aloof, and distant. Edward spoke only when spoken to, interacting with his family only when it became absolutely necessary to do so. No matter how much his family wished differently, Edward was always on the outside of his family looking in.

"Mmmm, Edward," Isabella murmured in her sleep, pulling him, thankfully, back to the present.

There was time to revisit the first fourteen years of his life later. Here, with a beautiful woman laying serenely in his arms, was neither the time nor the place.

"Why did you not tell her you loved her, Edward Anthony?" Seth questioned as he regarded his charge.

Edward quickly put the thoughts of his birth parents out of his mind and glanced at the angel again. "Because I don't deserve to tell her again. What have I done to show her that I love her? Why would she ever believe a word that came out of my mouth? No, when I next tell my wife I love her she will know, without a doubt, that what I say is true. Actions speak louder than words, yes?" Edward asked Seth.

Edward didn't often tell his wife he loved her; a fact of which he admitted with a heavy heart. There wasn't much about love he understood, and what he understood was too painful for him to think about. The feelings he had for his wife, that he'd had for her since the first moment they met, scared the ever-living shit out of him; they always had.

Seth was, in all actuality, stunned by the words Edward had just spoken. While Seth knew what haunted Edward, it was most unexpected for him to act in such a way.

"Edward, are you all right?" Seth asked, sounding more human than otherworldly. So much so that Edward chuckled, which in turn caused Isabella to stir in her slumber.

Edward bent his head down and whispered softly in his wife's ear and ran his fingers lovingly through her hair as it fell across his chest. She immediately calmed and with a tiny sigh, fell asleep once more. "Of course I'm fine," Edward said in a measured tone as he turned to face the angel person. "Wouldn't you know if I wasn't?" he questioned as he thought for the first time since he'd arrived home about the reason for the annoying being's presence in the first place.

"I presume so, yes," Seth answered affirmatively. "However, even I am at a loss for your rather sudden and total change of demeanor," the angel stated.

Edward thought seriously for a moment before he began to speak. "This isn't a trick or anything like that, is it? I mean you say you've been sent to help me put my life in order before it's my time to go. Is that really true? I'm really going to die?" he asked, trying to choke back the despair that threatened to spill out.

"Yes, Edward Anthony, what I've told you is the truth. You know I can't lie to you, nor would I. When I was given my duty to help you I was told that you did not have long before the end would come. I know my kind's interpretation is much different from you human's, but time is of the essence nonetheless," Seth said as he tried to figure out the complex man in front of him. "Why do you ask?"

"When I die, will she be okay?" Edward asked in a voice that was so full of pain it was hard for Seth to hear.

"Edward, Isabella loves you deeply. She will never love another the way she does you," the angel said softly, his voice sounding more like bells than the thundering drums it usually did. "While your passing will cause her tremendous pain and she will mourn your loss for many years, she will move on. Much like her Nonna, though the ineffable Gianna Santoro had many, many more years with her Angelo than Isabella will be granted with you, sadly," Seth finished.

"Do you know how I will die?" Edward asked, not entirely positive he wanted to hear the answer.

"I do not," Seth answered.

It was true. When Seth was given his assignment and was given all the pertinent information he needed, Seth had been in such a hurry it was a wonder there was any time to make the necessary preparations. While the angel was well aware of the monumental task ahead of him, there was no one who would be better equipped to handle Edward Anthony Cullen than Seth.

"What do I do now?" Edward asked, this time really wanting to know the answer.

"Well, if I am not mistaken, and we've already readily established I am NEVER wrong, the lovely Isabella will be waking momentarily. Just a word of warning my young friend, you will have some massive explaining to do."

Seth let out a booming laugh that shook the ground.

"I'll be close by if you need me, Eddie. I can't wait to see this," the annoying being chuckled as he faded into the night.

Edward shook his head and looked at his delectable wife. Surely the angel was mistaken, right? There was no way Isabella…soft, quiet, and gentle Isabella would ever be anyone to be afraid of…was there?

The way they'd just made love and the way it felt to hold her as she slept lulled Edward into a most false sense of security. He cringed as he realized that while he might choose to pretend he had fooled his wife, he knew nothing was further from the truth. Isabella could spot bullshit from a mile away and he was quite certain that no matter how much he wished in this case he could hide from her, he knew in fact he could not.

Isabella awoke from the best, most restful sleep she could remember. Her limbs were relaxed and her heart and mind were full of nothing but the way Edward had kissed her and the way he held her while she slept. She stretched and moved enticingly against her husband and said husband had to grit his teeth to hold in the moan of pleasure as his wife's lithe body moved along his.

"Hello, love, did you have a nice nap?" Edward asked his wife sweetly as he pushed her hair back over her shoulder and bent down to kiss her naked shoulder.

Before his lips reached their target, the sweet wife he was used to turned into the ball of fire Renée Swan and Gianna Santoro knew so well.

"Now you just wait a damn minute, Edward Anthony Cullen. I want to know what the hell is going on with you and I want to know right now!" Isabella demanded as she reached down and grabbed her husband's ruined dress shirt and slipped her arms in. She tied the shirt closed to give herself a bit of modesty and Edward nearly groaned out loud at the sight in front him.

His wife stood before him, her brown eyes seemingly lit from within they blazed so brightly. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was a gorgeous mess of brown curls from her nap and Edward's fingers. Her legs were so firm and shapely and the dark blue dress shirt he had worn with his suit set off her pale skin in such a way that Edward was nearly breathless at the sight of her. Gone was the demure wife he'd made love to; in her place was a breathtaking Italian siren who was going to get the answers she was looking for.

"So why don't you tell me where the real Edward Cullen is because he is most definitely not you!" Isabella said and leveled her bottomless brown eyes at him.

Shit, where was an angel when you needed one?

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Now, everyone take a deep breath and remember what I said about having faith in me. We still have a long way to go. So, what do you think of our Edward now? Still want to maim him, or do you want to give him a hug? It's okay to want to do both. He still has a long way to go, but you did get a bit more of his story. A word of warning, the next few chapters are pivotal to the story, so hang in there with me. Oh, and as an enticement, there is lots of Seth coming up!**

**Next update will be next Sunday...remember what I said right off the bat, I'm a HEA girl through and through, I promise. Watch for the teaser for next Sunday's chapter...it will be posted on the blog tomorrow and on Fictionators.**

_**The Greatest Gift**_ **has the greatest blog…ever! PLEASE go check it out. My amazingly talented friend, Laurel has done a fantastic job with it and it's loaded, already, with so much good stuff! Take a look around, sign up to be a follower, sign up for email alerts…listen to the awesome playlist Ness has put together! You'll love it all. I will be posting teasers on there regularly, so check back frequently.**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter (I'm still learning so be patient!) les_sh_16**

**Be sure to check out the Fandom For Preemies! It's a fundraiser for the March of Dimes and for only a $5 donation you will get 103 stories totaling 1,268 pages! There is a blinkie on my blog or go here:**

**www(.)fandomforpreemies(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Thanks for reading! Be sure to review and let me know what you thought of it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**WOW! You guys blew me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! I know there are a lot of mixed feelings on our Edward, but try to keep an open mind, okay?**

**I need to send out a very special thank you to _obsmama_ for the amazing review she did for _The Greatest Gift_ on the IndieFicPimp blog! What a surprise and a shock. Thank you so very much for the wonderful words! You can read the review at www(.)indieficpimp(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 4**

Edward stared at his wife, dumfounded by the way she spoke, but even more than that, the way she looked.

In the muted light of the evening, with the flicker of candlelight illuminating her body and shimmering off her hair, she was mesmerizing and Edward reacted as any man would when faced with such a sight.

He was hard again, painfully so. He was torn between throwing her over his shoulder and racing up the stairs to his bed where he could take her again or keeping her in the aggravated state she was in right this moment so he could look at her longer.

To him, both options were equally advantageous so there was no clear cut correct answer.

Isabella must have seen his indecision, and knowing her husband much better than he ever realized, she pointed a delicate finger at him, again, and said, "You stay right there, Edward. You may have swept me off my feet and we may have just had the most amazing and intense sex we've had in longer than I can remember, but I know that look. You are not going to use your gorgeous eyes or that sexy as hell smirk to get your way until we talk. Now Edward, tell me exactly what happened to you, please?"

The Italian siren stared at her husband and had to take a few deep breaths to calm her excited body. Edward was still distractedly naked and as soon as she mentioned their previous lovemaking, her body reacted in ways she never dreamed. Her heart rate picked up, her skin tingled, her nipples got hard, and that was nothing compared to the ache and wetness she felt between her legs. The cooler night air was not helping that situation at all.

Edward watched his wife in a sort of stupefied state. The comment she'd made about knowing his 'look' threw him for quite the loop. _How did she know him so well when he worked so hard to keep his distance from her?_ he wondered. He couldn't argue with her though, he did want her again and had every intention of following through on his desire until she called that to a screeching halt.

Isabella shivered when an unexpected breeze blew across the yard. He suddenly realized he was still naked because he had been too busy ogling his wife, as any man in his right mind would when faced with such a sight, to bother to get dressed. He suddenly felt it a bit strange to have this discussion without his clothes on. The same went for his luscious wife.

That was way too much temptation for any man to have to fight.

"Isabella," Edward began hesitantly as his wife coolly looked at him. "I know you've prepared a delicious meal for tonight and I would hate to have all your hard work go to waste," he said truthfully.

"Edward, I really want to talk about this," she stated as she walked toward her husband. Edward reached down and pulled on his boxer briefs when he stood up. He didn't see his wife swallow a few times and take a few much needed breaths to calm her rapidly escalating desire for her husband. The thought of him covering his magnificent body with clothing of any kind felt positively sinful to her, but she did realize that if he didn't absolutely no talking would be done.

As much as he was not looking forward to having this discussion, Edward knew the sooner he faced the music the better and hopefully he could convince Isabella for round number two. A man could only hope.

"Isabella, I know. I promise I'll tell you what you want to know," he said, sounding anything but excited at the prospect.

Edward had no idea how he was going to navigate this particular conversation and while not an overly devout man, he hoped for some angelic guidance at the very least. _What the hell good was an angel if he couldn't help you figure out what to say to your wife?_

Isabella stood and stared at him, suddenly a bit afraid of what the discussion would bring to light. His more than unusual behavior sincerely caused her great amounts of worry and trepidation. If there was something seriously wrong with him, she didn't know how she would handle it. The brief glimpse she'd just gotten of the true Edward Anthony Cullen, the one she'd known was there all along, made her fall in love with her husband even more than she already was. She said a very quick prayer for the strength to listen and to help if he needed her.

Needing nothing more than to touch him, she held her hand out to him so they could make their way into the house.

Edward hurried to his wife's side needing to touch her just as greatly and when her tiny hand was enveloped in his large one Isabella turned and looked at her husband. "Thank you for this afternoon, Edward. I can't remember the last time I've been so happy." After speaking her heartfelt words, she stood on her tiptoes and brushed her satiny soft lips across his stubbled cheek then sighed softly when she had to remove them.

They entered the kitchen where she hurried to the oven to check the food. Thankfully the dish she had made especially for Edward hadn't been overcooked and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, she was still anxious as all get out over the impending conversation she and Edward were about to have, but she couldn't help but feel quite satisfied that the meal she had so lovingly and carefully prepared was cooked to perfection.

Edward, for his part, looked even more anxious than his wife, which came as no surprise. After all, it as he who was on the proverbial chopping block and for good reason.

"Sweetheart? Why don't you go and take a shower and change your clothes while the pasta cools? I'm sure you had a long day followed by a long flight home," Isabella spoke to her husband.

While she was a bit shocked at how easily the term of endearment slipped out of her lips, Edward was positively speechless. Yes, she'd called him sweetheart outside, but he attributed that to the heat of the moment. Hearing it now, effortlessly and without a second thought, touched him in a way that completely took him by surprise.

The warm, blissful feeling he'd felt on the plane washed over him and he basked in it for a brief time. The thought that it was his own damn fault that he hadn't experienced this feeling of contentment and joy much over the last five years did not go unnoticed. But as much as he wished things had been different, they weren't, and now he needed to use whatever time he had left treating his wife like the treasure she was.

"You don't need my help with anything?" he asked as he stood and watched her move purposely around the kitchen gathering the things she needed for their meal.

Isabella shut the utensil drawer with a bump of her sexy and partially naked hip and Edward's breath caught in his throat for the umpteenth time since he'd arrived home. His wife was most definitely the most bewitching creature he'd ever encountered. He felt as if he was under a spell and it wasn't until Isabella dropped the silverware on the island with a clank that he was shaken from his stupor.

She looked at her husband, partly annoyed at him just standing there like a statue and partly terrified by his completely unfathomable behavior. "Edward, are you sure you're all right?" she asked as she blew the wisps of hair that had fallen in her face with a frustrated breath.

"Yes, love. I'm fine," Edward said softly as he moved, finally, forward and brushed the hair out of her face. "I won't be long," he finished as he kissed her forehead and then reluctantly pulled away and turned and walked toward the stairs where he'd left his bag.

Isabella watched him walk away, the lean and toned muscles of his back and legs flexing enticingly as he moved. If anything, during the five years they'd been married he got even better-looking and certainly sexier. Men like Edward always got better-looking with age; it was a fact of life women the world over bemoaned, but Isabella really couldn't complain too much. After all, she got to look at him every day.

She shook her head when he disappeared up the stairs and she frowned when she heard him move above her in his room. The night she moved her things from their marital bedroom into her own room was a night she wouldn't ever forget. She was a private person, preferring to rely on her own instincts and feelings when it came to making decisions. Her complete dedication to her studies and her sport, coupled with her determination to remain a virgin until she got married, left her with few close friends.

Isabella was well-liked by all who met her and the other tutors at the after school program adored her. Her parents' friends always marveled at how sweet and kind she was and when she accompanied her Nonna to Sunday Mass she was hugged and kissed more than she felt comfortable with. She could have talked to her mother or grandmother about the state of her marriage, but she didn't. She could have talked Esme or Rosalie also, but again she chose not to.

While the decision to leave Edward's bed was supremely painful, she also knew, deep down in her soul, that she needed to protect him as well. She was well aware of his difficult manner, but she also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was a reason for his behavior. She'd seen enough glimpses of the true Edward Cullen during their dating and engagement, not to mention their honeymoon and off and on during their marriage to know that beneath the hard shell there was a kind, tender, and loving man.

"She's something else isn't she?" Seth smirked at Edward as he exited the bathroom after taking what had to be the world's shortest shower.

Edward glared icily at the annoying angel person who was still dressed in his Chicago Cubs regalia and stomped toward his dresser to pull out his own pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Studiously ignoring the deep chuckle that rumbled from the unwelcome presence in the chair by the window, he marched back into the bathroom to get dressed.

"Damn nosy, know-it-all, pain in the ass seraph," Edward muttered under his breath as he yanked on a clean pair of boxer briefs and then his khaki shorts and black t-shirt.

He wrenched the door open and stared at the being across the room. "Edward Anthony, you do realize I possess extraordinary hearing, don't you? While I readily admit to knowing it all, I'm neither nosy nor a pain in the ass, as you so eloquently put it," Seth said, quite amused at his young charge.

"Whatever," Edward said in a voice that sounded much like a surly teenager being lectured by a parent.

"You want to tell me what's bothering you? It is, after all, my job to help you navigate these types of situations," the angel stated, tempering his amusement for the time being.

Edward sighed deeply, trying to articulate exactly what he was feeling. He was raw, the reality of the day hitting him like a tsunami. He walked toward the large windows that faced the backyard and realized with a start the he had only to take a moment, just one fucking moment at anytime, to look out of these windows and he would have been granted an insight into who his wife really was.

"I'm such a fucking idiot," Edward said sadly and rested his forehead against the cool glass. He tried to keep the melancholy he was feeling from spilling out of him, but he was having a hell of a time doing it. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture he'd done thousands of times before whenever he was upset.

Seth snorted, the sound filling the large room and Edward turned and narrowed his eyes at the angel. "What, you want me to disagree with you?" Seth asked smugly. "Edward, you are not a stupid man. Of course you're an idiot. You've lived the last twenty odd years with a chip on your shoulder the size of the moon, not to mention you've been burying your head in the sand like the world's most stubborn ostrich. Besides, I can't lie to you, so why even try?"

"It's not fair," he said pitifully and Seth couldn't help but laugh, shaking the glass beneath Edward's head.

"You want some cheese with that whine?" the angel retorted sharply.

Edward lifted his head quickly and sucked in a sharp breath. "What the hell? How can you say that? I found out today that I'm going to die! I found out that I've pretty much wasted the last five years of my life! I found out that the greatest gift I've ever been given lives in the same house as me but doesn't share my bed! I found out that my life is nothing close to what I want it to be," he finished and fell to his knees and held his head in his hands.

Immediately he was engulfed in a warm and comforting embrace that held him until his sobs stopped and he was able to catch his breath.

"Yes, Edward Anthony, what you just said is all true, but you have to look at the other side as well. You've also been given the time to right the mistakes you've made, ask for forgiveness from those you've wronged, and do what you can in the time you have left to make your life what you want," Seth said soothingly. "It's a gift, Edward, and you must treat it as such."

Seth waved his hand over Edward's head and instantly he was calmed and felt more relaxed, a fact of which Edward was most grateful for.

"Do you think that will help me with my wife?" Edward remarked seriously, even though the angel let go a booming laugh.

"I'm not sure even my angelic powers can help you with the lovely Isabella, Edward. Now shoo, I have places I need to be and I want to see this up close and personal," the angel stated excitedly, with a wicked gleam in his eye to boot. "You might as well face the music. Chances are it won't even be as bad as you think."

Edward got up off the floor and smoothed down his shirt before he started walking toward his bedroom door. He spun around so quickly, he caught the normally observant angel off-guard. "Wait a damn minute!" Edward exclaimed heatedly. "What do you mean you have places to be? What if I need your help?"

The angel shook his head at his young friend. "Edward, my boy, all you ever have to do is call for me, and I will immediately appear. However, you are not my only responsibility at the moment," Seth told him indulgently.

As Edward stood with his hand on the doorknob he asked a question he'd always wanted to know the answer to. For as long as he could remember, he'd wanted to know. Well, to be more specific, since he was fourteen-years-old and had witnessed things he never spoke about, ever, he needed to know. "Where do you go when you leave me?" he asked quietly.

Seth sighed; the breath he expelled was cool and floated through the confines of Edward's room. "Ah, my young friend, that is a discussion we must save for another day. You already have much to discuss with your beautiful bride; you don't want to have to explain ruining her dinner as well do you?"

The angel was stalling, he was well aware of that fact, but he also knew that Edward was procrastinating having the discussion he was about to have with his very perceptive and brilliant wife.

"You'll be close by if I need you?" Edward asked, his voice shaking as he stepped out the door.

"I'm always here if you need me, Edward, never doubt that. Now, get your ass down there and face your wife," the angel said with a wink then disappeared with a soft laugh as Edward took a deep breath and began to descend the stairs.

"Damn angel," he muttered again.

While Edward showered and changed clothes, Isabella finished getting dinner ready and hastily cleaned herself up as well in the downstairs bathroom.

She had retrieved her pants and tank top from the deck, blushing profusely as she stepped outside in nothing but Edward's ruined dress shirt. As soon as she tiptoed back into the house she shook her head as she tried to clear her mind of what had just happened with her husband and tried instead to focus on the discussion they were about to have.

The guest bathroom she slipped into was well-stocked, as any good hostess would provide. She was able to clean up quickly; slipping both her pants and shirt on, leaving the lacy undergarments she'd chosen for her husband in the laundry room. The action left her feeling rather sexy and naughty which caused the normally demure woman to chuckle at herself.

Taking a deep breath as she looked in the mirror, Isabella noticed the flush to her cheeks and the way her eyes danced with hope and excitement. The conversation that was forthcoming not withstanding, the afternoon had turned out better than she could have ever dreamed. Edward had acted and spoke to her like the man she knew he was. He'd let her have a glimpse of him, walls down and open, and he was breathtaking.

She straightened her shoulders and vowed to do whatever was necessary to make sure THAT Edward was present more often. She had no doubt it would be a struggle to keep those walls from going back up, but as Edward would come to find out, she was most diligent when she chose to be.

"Love?" Edward called for his wife as he descended the last step. His heart was beating quickly and his palms began to sweat as he thought about how important the conversation he was about to have was. Not because of any angelic prophecy, but because Isabella deserved for him to be honest.

After five years, it was way past time for some honesty. Edward always chose to hide; it was easier that way. Today had taught him that not only did that particular mechanism harm himself but Isabella just as much. Perhaps even more so.

Isabella walked in from the deck, a soft breeze following in her wake and she gave Edward a brilliant smile. "I thought we could eat outside, is that all right with you? It's a lovely night out," she said as she walked toward the island to grab the salad and the basket of bread she'd just cut and wrapped in a linen napkin.

Edward was - as was becoming a quick habit - totally enamored with his wife as he watched her move around the kitchen. Finally coming out his stupor when he heard the oven door close, he moved to help her.

"Let me carry that to the table," he said quietly as he picked up the dish of pasta. He flashed his wife a quick, but sincere smile and walked to the table outside.

The plate of antipasto was already on the table as well as a bottle of wine and wine glasses and Edward couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, yet again, at the lengths his wife continued to go to reach him.

Isabella followed behind him and set the salad and bread to the side of their place setting, reaching out to touch him on the arm, causing a warmth to spread through his body from the caress of her fingers. "Are you ready to eat, Edward?" she asked softly as she tilted her head to regard him.

"Everything looks delicious, Isabella," he said. He held her chair out for her and then sat in his own directly across from her.

The candles she had lit cast a warm glow over the table. Isabella began to load up Edward's plate with food, skipping the artichokes in favor of his favorite salami and prosciutto. The woman across from him was definitely much more perceptive and observant than he ever gave her credit for. It was amazing how something as simple as knowing he disliked artichokes made him aware of just how much she loved him.

He watched as she spooned the bruschetta onto the bread and then passed him his plate.

"Will you pour the wine, sweetheart?" she asked as she handed him her wineglass, the term of endearment used again in such an effortless manner.

"Of course." He nodded and filled both glasses. His might have been a good deal fuller than hers for he was positive he would need it to calm his quickly spiraling nerves.

Isabella filled her own plate and then smiled at him before she began to eat, a comfortable silence settling around them. Edward could not remember the last time food had tasted so good. Everything was mouthwateringly delicious; the meats and cheeses had been seasoned to perfection. The salad and homemade dressing had the perfect balance of tangy and sweetness, the bread was soft and airy on the inside and crusty on the outside. All of it was perfect and they hadn't even made it to the main course yet.

He stared at his wife across the table as she picked up her wineglass. Her soft, pink lips framed the lip of the glass and when she was done, her tongue darted out to swipe a stray drop of wine and Edward had to shift in his chair and bite the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning out in excitement. She was so beautiful and had no idea what she was doing to him.

The urge to tell her he loved her swamped him suddenly, and though he wanted nothing more than to drop to his knees in front of her and beg her forgiveness and then pledge his undying love to her, he knew he owed her much more than words for his past behavior.

"Do you hate me?" he asked quietly, the question springing forth before he could stop it.

Quite honestly, he was terrified of the answer. Oh, Isabella had every right to hate him for the way he'd treated her for the last five years, even Edward was self-aware enough to realize that. The brief and intermittent moments he spent with her as a husband should couldn't have been enough for someone as loving and giving as his wife was. He was so concerned about himself and being scared of letting her in that he'd unknowingly hurt her and he wasn't sure how to deal with that. Though the angel had informed him that her love for him had only grown over time, he had a hard time believing that was the truth no matter the being's assurances that their kind could not lie. Isabella was an amazingly selfless person, he knew that, but even still patience could only last so long.

Isabella gasped at the soft, but heart-wrenching question just uttered by her husband. She had much she wanted to say to him, but decided since this is where he began she would answer him honestly, though he might not like the answer.

She folded her napkin beside her plate and stared at him for a moment while she gathered her thoughts. Edward Cullen was an incredible-looking man, strong, confident…though most would say too confident, and powerful. But as he sat across from her, she couldn't help but think how vulnerable and exposed he looked just now.

"I don't hate you, Edward. I could never hate you," she said gently. Edward let out a breath he didn't seem to realize he was holding and just as he was about to say something else, she spoke again. "However, I dislike you most of the time," she said and watched her husband pale in the flickering candlelight.

Edward felt like he'd been punched in the stomach and it twisted painfully at her calm, quiet, but piercing words. Even though he had just before admitted her right to her feelings it did not, in any way, lessen the impact her vocalizing them inflicted upon him. Somehow the realization that while she may love him, she didn't necessarily like him very much, hurt him more deeply than if she would have simply said that yes, she hated him.

Isabella cringed internally as she watched her husband's face fall at her admission, but he asked and she knew that if the two of them had any hope at all of moving forward, Edward would have to face some difficult truths. If she didn't love him so much and so irrevocably, she would have given up on him long ago. Five years was a hell of a long time to live with someone who barely registered your existence unless it suited him, but as Edward would soon discover about his wife, Isabella was as tenacious as the day was long.

She believed, without the benefit of angelic assurance, that her husband loved her as much as she loved him. She believed with all her heart that at some point in time something would happen and Edward would realize all the time he'd wasted keeping himself at an arm's distance from her. While she never, in her wildest imaginations, envisioned it would take five years, it seemed that some sort of reckoning was upon them. She was determined to find out what happened to the man that left Chicago a few short days ago and turned him into the man that sat before her now.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**I know this was a shorter chapter than you're used to, but I had to stop it here. Lots of important conversations happening in this chapter and the next few...pivotal ones! I hope you are getting a better understanding of both Edward and Isabella as we go along.**

**Next update will be next Sunday...remember what I said right off the bat, I'm a HEA girl through and through, I promise. Watch for the teaser for next Sunday's chapter...it will be posted on the blog tomorrow and on Fictionators. Since this was a shorter chapter, I'll give you all a bigger teaser on the blog tomorrow.**

_**The Greatest Gift**_ **has the greatest blog…ever! PLEASE go check it out. My amazingly talented friend, Laurel has done a fantastic job with it and it's loaded, already, with so much good stuff! Take a look around, sign up to be a follower, sign up for email alerts…listen to the awesome playlist Ness has put together! You'll love it all. I will be posting teasers on there regularly, so check back frequently.**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter (I'm still learning so be patient!) les_sh_16**

**Be sure to check out the Fandom For Preemies! It's a fundraiser for the March of Dimes and for only a $5 donation you will get 103 stories totaling 1,268 pages! There is a blinkie on my blog or go here:**

**www(.)fandomforpreemies(.)blogspot(.)com**

**One more announcement...The Path We Choose was nominated for 4! Sparkleteer Rare Gem Awards for Best Kiss, Best Cliffhanger, Best Tearjerker and Best Lemon (I'm kinda proud of that one!) You can check out the awards at:**

**www(.)thesparkleteerawards(.)blogspot(.)com**

**You can vote once a day, so vote often! Check it out, there are a lot of great stories nominated, including my girl rtgirl's Cotton Creek. She was nominated for Best Fluff, Best Kiss and Best Story!**

**Thanks for reading! Be sure to review and let me know what you thought of it!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story!**

**I need to send out a very special thank you to _obsmama_ for the amazing review she did for _The Greatest Gift_ on the IndieFicPimp blog! What a surprise and a shock. Thank you so very much for the wonderful words! You can read the review at www(.)indieficpimp(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now…on with the story! (You might want to take a deep breath~)**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 5**

Edward sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his chair while his wife looked intently at him. Like on the plane when Seth had stared at him, as if he was being evaluated and measured for some unknown reason, the experience was less than enjoyable. But he endured, because he owed it to his wife to do so. For every tear, for every doubt, for every icy glare and cold shoulder he'd ever given her over the course of their marriage thus far, he owed her a hundred times over.

Even then, he would never be able to make up for the time he'd lost with her.

He lowered his eyes and took a few deep breaths and tried, as best he could, to keep from falling apart at the words Isabella had just uttered.

"Edward, look at me," his wife implored him and in a moment of complete and total trust, held her hand out for him to take.

Without any hesitation at all, he reached for her hand and wrapped his around hers and gave her a very grateful smile.

"Do you want to talk about what has happened over the past few days to make you behave as you have since you've gotten home? Not that I mind, just so you know, the afternoon…um, activities were a most unexpected, but pleasant surprise," she told him and then blushed when Edward's eyes darkened at the images that immediately filled his mind.

"You're so beautiful, but especially so when you blush like that, Isabella," Edward said as he lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a soft kiss across her knuckles.

"Edward," she said with a mixture of pleasure and frustration.

Her husband was the most maddening man, even though he could sweep her of her feet with no effort at all.

"What? Can I not compliment my wife?" he asked with a self-satisfied smirk.

Reaching the end of her seemingly limitless patience, she pulled her hand back and looked at him, eyes furious.

"Edward Cullen, don't you dare try to dazzle me! If you don't want to tell me what is going on with you, fine, don't tell me. It's not like it would be any different than the past five years anyway. But, you asked me a serious question and I was going to answer you. I had hoped you would do the same for me. If you have no intention of listening or talking, then just let me know right now so we can eat, fuck, and then sleep in separate rooms, like we do every damn night anyway!" Isabella said, her temper threatening to take over and make her say something she would really regret.

Oh, there was much she wanted to say to her stunned husband right at the moment, she thought angrily as she began serving the mushroom ravioli. _Insufferable ass_ was the chant currently racing through her mind followed closely with _arrogant bastard_ and both were rather apt descriptions at the moment. How dare he, how fucking dare he, after all she'd been through and after all the time she'd spent trying to get him to this moment, how dare he carelessly discount the serious discussion they were having!

"'Can I not compliment my wife?' my ass," she muttered, loud enough for Edward to hear. "Ha!" she exclaimed heatedly and then turned an icy glare of her own on her husband before handing him his plate of food.

"Damn it!" she muttered in extreme annoyance when she realized she'd forgotten the freshly-grated Parmesan cheese inside.

Edward watched, totally dumbfounded as his wife stomped from the deck into the house, her arms flailing about as she continued to mutter to herself. His wife just said the word _fuck_. He'd never heard that word come out of her mouth…ever. And the fact that she said it in terms of their lovemaking left him shell-shocked. Finding out about his impending death, being in an almost plane crash, the introduction of an angel into his life all paled in comparison to the despair he felt right at the moment that she would believe he felt that way about her.

"What the hell just happened?" Edward said as he ran a hand through his hair and took a drink of his wine. The wine, supposedly delicious because he only bought the best of the best, was bitter and left a horrible taste in his mouth.

"Edward, my boy, you really are the dumbest bastard on the planet," Seth said when he suddenly appeared in the chair just vacated by his wife.

"Excuse me?" he asked, clearly not understanding.

The angel laughed heartily, shaking the ground and the table with the sound and then looked at Edward. "Would you like me to enlighten you on why your lovely Isabella just turned into an Italian spitfire in the blink of an eye? You are obviously completely clueless when it comes to your wife."

"If you think you know then by all means enlighten me, oh angelic one," he sneered petulantly.

While he didn't understand why Isabella was upset, it was obvious she was. He could faintly hear the sounds of her slamming things in the kitchen coupled with her obvious string of colorful Italian words. He didn't know what she was saying, but there was no doubting the tone or whom they were directed toward.

"Edward, really, my young friend. You seriously don't know what you did just then?" Seth asked incredulously, shaking his head. When Edward still looked blankly at him, Seth began. "Edward, think back to the conversation you were just having with Isabella. You asked if she hated you, which I must admit, took a lot of guts to ask and she answered you, honestly, after giving the question a good amount of thought. When she realized what her answer made you feel, without even a hint of hesitation, she gave you her hand to hold onto so that she could touch you, and more importantly, you her, while she explained her answer. And what did you do? Completely disregarded that and thought with the little head instead of the big one! I understand, Edward," the angel said indulgently, "that your emotions are all over the place right now. You've learned a lot of hard truths about yourself and your life. You are seeing your wife through new eyes and in a new light, but the way you just casually threw a discussion that she has been waiting a long time to have with you to the side, is almost unforgivable," Seth finished with a sad shake of his head. Seth understood, he really did, how hard and difficult all these new revelations had to have been for his assignment, but Edward needed to understand, fully, the ramifications his past actions had wrought.

"Fuck…Jesus, I'm an idiot," Edward groaned as he bent his head forward and banged it on the edge of the table.

"Well, I'm not Jesus, but I have to agree with you," the annoying angel person said with a guffaw.

"What the hell do I do now? I keep screwing up with her every damn time I turn around. At this rate, I'll be dead before I make any progress with Isabella at all," Edward said offhandedly, and then realized the truth of his words.

He paled instantly and his face belied the fear he felt at the words he'd just spoken. He wanted to mend his relationship with Isabella; he wanted it more than anything. Even more than the assurance that he would live a long and happy life.

Seth sighed, though it sounded more like the wind during a thunderstorm. "Edward, enough. Stop with the self-pitying bullshit and get your act together. Apologize to your wife when she comes back out here. Beg, on your knees if you have to, for another chance to talk with her and for cripe's sake, listen to the woman. You owe her this, you owe her your honesty and you owe her the respect to listen to what she has to tell you. You're not going to like it all, but you got yourself into this mess, so it's no less than what you deserve. Time to face the demons that have come home to roost, my young friend. If you're lucky, she'll just let you have it in English. I'm not sure you're ready to face the wrath of Isabella when she's in full Italian spitfire mode." Seth chuckled with a rumbling laugh.

"She's magnificent," Edward breathed out as he caught a glimpse of her as she walked to the stereo to change the music.

Gone were the soothing sounds of Coldplay from before and in its place was Evanescence. Fucking hell, angry chick music... _great._

"Shit," he groaned when the music began to play. Yep, he'd really dug himself a hell of hole just now and it would be a miracle in and of itself if he managed to come through unscathed.

"Buck up, Eddie, you may enjoy a tongue lashing from your beautiful bride. Think of it as foreplay," Seth said with a smirk then he was suddenly not there anymore.

"Damn know-it-all angel," Edward muttered and then sat up straight when Isabella slid in the seat across from him again.

Isabella had calmed down from her outburst from before. It was amazing the satisfaction one could garner from the slamming of drawers and the muttering of every curse word she knew in Italian. During her tirade she had come to the realization that Edward was new at all of this and he was making an effort. He might be a bit misguided, or a lot as the case was, and he was bound to make mistakes, but he was at the very least trying.

So, she told herself before walking back out to finish their dinner, she was going to have to be patient, even more so than before. She was also going to have to try to keep better control of her temper. Isabella was a tiny bit embarrassed at her outburst from earlier, not to mention the English curse words she'd used, but at the same time she was pleased that they were finally even attempting to have this discussion. Isabella knew intuitively that things were going to change between her and Edward once they took this first step. She couldn't help but feel slightly aggravated at his careless remark but she knew tempering her temper was imperative if they were to move forward.

"Would you like cheese for your pasta?" she asked Edward in a voice that was still laced with lingering frustration and hurt, but one that was much gentler than before.

Edward was most grateful for the slight reprieve and took the olive branch she offered. "Yes, please," he answered his wife gently and gave her a sincere smile when she looked at him.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," he began tentatively when he took his first bite of his dinner.

The exquisite tastes exploded in his mouth and he groaned appreciatively, causing Isabella to smile at him in return.

Small steps, she reminded herself as she ate slowly, watching her husband enjoy his meal. Isabella had no doubt the apology he just gave her was sincere and it was the first small step toward a new beginning for the two of them.

After they ate for a few minutes, Edward took a sip of his wine and then looked at his wife. "Isabella, if it's okay with you, I'd like to continue our conversation from earlier," he said with trepidation.

Isabella heard the anxiousness that eked out and said, "Edward, I'd really like to continue as well, but if you aren't ready, I'd understand." It was a gracious offer, but there was no doubt she'd like to get some answers.

Edward grinned sheepishly and then rolled his eyes at his wife. "I do believe you've waited more than long enough, don't you?"

Isabella couldn't help but nod her head in agreement and they both sat back in their chairs after he refilled their glasses.

"Now, if I'm not mistaken, wife of mine, I believe you were going to inform me, gently I hope, why you dislike me so and I in turn will tell you about my trip," Edward said endearingly.

Isabella hung her head and closed her eyes. Yes, she wanted to have this talk with him, had wanted it for a long time now, but telling the man you loved more than life itself you didn't particularly like the person he was, wasn't really something she was looking forward to.

"Hey," he told her as he lifted her chin with his fingers. "Isabella, it's okay. I've been a damn idiot for a long time now, but I'm not stupid. I'll admit that hearing you don't like me very much isn't my favorite thing I've ever heard come from your beautiful lips, but I deserve whatever you have to say to me."

"Oh, Edward," Isabella said softly as she looked at her husband. His face was relaxed and his eyes sparkled and he looked completely ready for whatever she had to say to him.

"Love, really," Edward motioned with his wineglass, "go ahead. Just try to be gentle, or as gentle as your Italian temper will allow you to be," he said disarmingly.

"I'm sorry about earlier, too, Edward," she began, looking for a starting point.

He chuckled at her and then flashed a drop dead sexy grin. "Well, I'm sure we would both agree I deserved that wholeheartedly. I also must say, wife of mine, it was incredibly sexy to see you get so worked up. Next time, however, I think I'd much rather see about getting you worked up in bed."

Isabella rolled her eyes at his blatant flirting, but she couldn't deny the tingles she felt between her legs at the sexual innuendo.

"Isabella, you're stalling," Edward prodded and she took a deep breath and dug in.

"Edward, I'm sorry if what I said before hurt you, but you asked and I felt it was only fair to be honest with you," Isabella said quietly. She looked at her husband and said just as softly, "You haven't been the easiest of people to live with and you've tried, and done a damn good job, too, of keeping your distance from me. You spend your time hiding away at the office downtown or here at home in the study. If we are in the same room for any length of time, you get agitated and then run away. Hell, Edward, we haven't shared the same bed for over a year," Isabella said and took a drink of her wine, carefully watching her husband. Noting that though he looked distressed at her words, he was still sitting and waiting patiently, so she decided to go on. After all, this might be her only chance to say what was on her mind and she was not about to let the opportunity pass her by.

"I've seen glimpses of the person I believe you to be, Edward. During our engagement and honeymoon and at times since we returned from Italy, your walls have fallen and I see the man I fell in love with, the man I pledged myself to, and the man I hope you allow yourself to become. I know there are things that haunt you from your past, Edward, things I'm sure you've never shared with anyone. Whatever those things are weigh heavily on you and make you hesitant to trust people and even more hesitant to allow yourself to get close to them. It has also made you cold and distant and more often than not, unnecessarily cruel as well," Isabella finished.

"All of that and yet you don't despise me?" Edward asked sadly. "All of that and you still allow me to make love to you, to take you as I did this afternoon?"

"When we are making love, Edward, you are a different man. You become tender and gentle. You hold me and kiss me and make me feel loved and worshiped. Sometimes that feeling even lasts as much as a day or two afterward. You allow me to love you the way I want to; allow me to lay in bed with you. There are times you even kiss me before you leave for work or grace me with a special smile. Those are the moments that make even the most difficult of days worth it, Edward," she said.

Her words cut him to the core, completely ripped his heart out and obliterated it into unrecognizable pieces. She didn't yell, she didn't cry or get hysterical. Instead she spoke in a voice so sweet and tender that Edward wasn't sure he would ever be worthy of her, even if he had a multitude of lifetimes to try to be. That she only felt loved and worshiped when they made love devastated Edward. The fact that she took pleasure in something as small as a kiss goodbye or a smile made him feel like the world's biggest piece of shit.

"My God, what you must think of me," Edward choked out, the words barely able to leave his mouth. "Why haven't you ever said anything?" he asked. There is no way anyone should be subjected to the emotionless environment Isabella found herself in day in and day out, yet she was still here, still hopeful and still willing to give him a chance.

"I never said anything, Edward, because you never asked. If I would have approached you with any of this, without you asking, you would have run a hundred miles in the other direction. I imagine if I would have told you this before you were ready, as it appears you are, to listen, hell, it could have been weeks, months, before I saw you again." Isabella chuckled at that, though it was a mirthless one.

Edward at least had the ability to acknowledge the truth of her words. If he wouldn't have been forced to re-examine his life there is no way in hell he ever would have been able to handle the admissions Isabella was offering him right now.

_Utterly pathetic_ …he muttered angrily to himself. Five fucking years he'd wasted, hiding from the glorious woman across from him. She loved him, faults and all and holy hell there were plenty of those. Even though she'd been emotionally neglected for years, she'd never stopped loving him and just as importantly, she'd never stopped believing in him, either.

That thought took his breath away and gave him hope. Hope that he could fix their marriage but also hope that she would help him fix all the other areas of his life as well.

"You really don't despise me?" Edward asked again, praying that she still gave the same answer.

Isabella looked at him warmly and reached across the table to take his hand in hers once more. "No, Edward, I don't. I love you and adore you, probably more today than I did the first time I told you that, more than the day I became yours in every way possible, and more than every day since. Loving you has never been the problem. I pray for you every day, pray that you see the man I see. I pray that one day you'll let me in and trust me with your secrets. I hope that you'll share your pain with me because it's obviously too great for you to carry alone. I hope that you allow yourself to be happy, because I think you deserve it, even if you don't believe it. I hope and I pray that one day you'll love me the way I love you," she finished the last part barely louder than a whisper.

The words might as well have been yelled through a bullhorn they reverberated so loudly inside Edward's brain.

"Isabella, I…" he began but was cut off by his wife who stood and then leaned across the table and placed her soft fingers over his lips.

"Edward, don't. Don't say the words because you think you owe them to me. Don't say them in response to what I've told you. You're not ready to say them yet, I know that. I gave my heart to you the moment I laid my eyes on you and it belongs only to you. Yours is still buried deep beneath iron fortified walls. Until you are ready to give me your heart, I don't want the words. They go hand and hand. I'm a patient woman, Edward Cullen. When you're ready, I'll be here," she whispered and leaned her head down and her lips took the place of her fingers and she kissed him softly.

"Now before it's your turn on the hot seat, how about some mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert? I know it's your favorite and I bought some especially for you, my handsome husband," she said with a wink and picked up the pasta and their dishes and carried them inside.

"That went surprisingly well, I must admit," Seth said, appearing the instant Isabella entered the house. He was dressed in khaki dress pants and a navy blue button-down and had a different pair of Italian leather shoes on his feet, loafers this time.

"Easy for you to say," Edward grumped with a huff and then ran his hands through his hair. "Damn, I feel like I've just been punched in the stomach by Emmett."

"I have to say, Edward Anthony, you handled that much better than I thought you would," the angel said, somewhat grudgingly Edward noticed.

"You knew she was going to say all that?" he demanded.

Seth shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand dismissively. "Edward, my boy, you do understand that I have been privy to the lovely Isabella's pleas, at least as they pertain to you, do you not? Of course I knew she was going to say all that. In fact, there is more, but that is for her to tell you, not I. Your job," the annoyingly bossy angel said in a stern voice, "is to allow her this time to express her feelings. Isabella has many years' worth of frustration and heartache built up, mostly, if not all, due to you and your actions. The least you can do is allow her to speak her mind."

"Damn," Edward muttered under his breath.

Not that he didn't know the damn angel was right, but Edward was rather hoping for a repeat of this afternoon's activities. The kiss she'd given him just moments ago stoked an already smoldering fire, especially when he noticed she didn't have a bra on, which led him to believe her panties were also absent. He knew the timing was all wrong, but he was a man for fuck's sake and he was being tempted by the world's most alluring woman, at least in his mind anyway.

"She's going to think I'm stark raving mad if I tell her what happened to me on that plane," Edward moaned pitifully.

"I'm not sure I'd be that specific with her, Eddie." Seth laughed. "Isabella is definitely a believer in our kind, but I'm not one hundred percent positive that she won't call the men with the white coats to come drag your ass off to a padded cell if you tell her everything. Your track record in dealing with all things heavenly is not the best by any stretch of the imagination."

"You got that right," Edward said, feeling suddenly very guilty for his reticent attitude toward going to Mass.

The music changed again and Edward smiled at the sounds of Dave Matthews floating from the speakers. _At least her mood had changed_ , he thought to himself and when he went to say something to Seth, the angel had already taken his leave.

Isabella grinned adorably at Edward as she handed him the extra big bowl of his favorite ice cream and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "For you, husband of mine, I think you're going to need it," she said sassily as she sat in the chair across from him. She pulled her leg up and placed it on the seat of the chair and began eating her own dessert.

Edward watched his wife enjoy her ice cream, totally mesmerized by the way her tiny pink tongue would dart in and out of her mouth, how she would lick her lips, and how the cold made her nipples harden. Damn he wanted her again, maddeningly so. But the words of the irritatingly always correct angel kept him from acting on his desire, no matter how desperate he was to touch, feel, taste, and kiss her again. Isabella deserved to be adored and cherished and not just while they were having sex. It was a wrong he vowed to himself to make right.

After he tore his gaze away from Isabella, Edward dug into his own dish of ice cream and he marveled, yet again, at her ability to know his likes and dislikes so well, to know him so well even though he'd unknowingly kept her at a distance. He shook his head and grinned at his adorable wife as she hummed to the music playing and shook her head, causing her hair to sway back and forth.

Isabella looked up and caught her husband staring at her unabashedly, his green eyes glinting mischievously in the candlelight. "Thank you for the extra helping of ice cream," Edward said, giving himself and internal fist bump for making that delicious blush appear on her face again.

"A treat for you, my husband, for spending the evening with me," she said with a smirk of her own.

"Do you think it's possible we'll be friends as well as lovers someday, Isabella?" Edward asked, surprising even himself with the question.

Isabella gasped and though she wanted to ask what prompted him to ask such an extraordinary question, she refrained and answered simply but with complete honesty. "I would like that very much, Edward."

He wanted to tell her so much, beginning with the fact that with the exception of Jasper Whitlock, he had never had a true friend. He wanted to tell her how grateful he was that she was willing to sit and eat ice cream with him in the moonlight as if it were an everyday occurrence instead of something that happened only rarely. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he loved her the very first time he set eyes on her but had been too afraid to let himself get close to her. Instead, he said, "I would like that very much, too."

He knew things were different now. He knew there was no going back to the way things were when he woke up this morning. He knew he wanted to be able to enjoy nights like this every night.

"Well, Edward," Isabella said with a knowing smile. "In the spirit of our newfound friendship, why don't you tell me what the hell is going on with you? And don't you dare tell me nothing, Edward Anthony Cullen, we may be new at this whole friendship thing, but I know you a whole lot better than you think I do."

He put his bowl down on the table, after finishing every bit of the delicious ice cream and took a deep breath before he looked at his wife. "I'm not sure what to tell you, Isabella. I realized I've been a miserable son of a bitch for most of my life and have behaved abominably toward just about everyone. Especially to you," he said, truly ashamed of his past actions toward her.

He looked at her and was shocked when he saw her staring back at him with her eyebrows raised. "Come on now, Edward, there has to be more to it than that," she said encouragingly as she took another sip of her wine.

"It was a really rough and scary flight home, Isabella," he said softly, but with much feeling.

Isabella immediately got a strange feeling and it made her shiver. She remembered her feelings of unease earlier in the day when she felt anxious about his flight coupled with the severe storms she knew he'd flown through. She was intuitive enough to realize there was much her husband was not saying, but it was a good enough start for now.

They'd made tremendous progress during the evening and she could feel the shift in their relationship as if it were a tangible thing. There was still a long way to go but the road ahead of her didn't seem as daunting as it once did. Things were still precarious and she had no doubt that Edward would try to hide from her again at some point. He had a lot of years of practice doing just that and scary plane flight or not, she knew the walls would return. She only hoped that since she'd breached them once, the second time would be easier.

By silent agreement, Edward and Isabella rose and gathered the remaining things from the table and made their way into the kitchen.

Edward watched Isabella efficiently wrap the leftovers and place them in the refrigerator and then put their ice cream bowls and wine glasses into the dishwasher. She wiped down the counters and made sure everything was back in its place. It quite amazed him the sense of completeness he got from watching his wife perform such a trivial thing like loading a dishwasher.

For the first time since the appearance of the angelic presence on what should have been a routine airplane ride, Edward truly saw what was happening to him as the gift Seth said it was. To be able to have this time, however long it turned out to be, to love his wife, to worship her, to become worthy of her was more than he truly should be allowed. If Edward Anthony Cullen was one thing, it was that he was a shrewd businessman, who had learned long ago to never let a golden opportunity pass you by. While he might never understand why he was granted the chance to make amends to his family, friends, and colleagues or why he was given the privilege to become the husband his beautiful wife deserved, he was going to take it and run with it.

So it was with that thought, Edward reached for his wife, holding her against him as he had wanted to do since the moment she left his arms hours ago and he asked, "Isabella, would stay with me tonight?"

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Well, progress...yes? I hope you all liked the way that conversation went. Isabella may not have yelled...much...but she sure got her point across, don't you think? Sometimes you can say more without yelling and screaming. And our poor Edward, he's kind of a mess right now, but cut him a bit of break. He does have a lot to deal with in a short period of time.**

**Next Chapter will be a bit on the heavy side, too, but, there are some light, fluffy, and lemony times right after that...I think you'll all be ready for that, huh?**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening.**

**Yes, I'm on Twitter now. You can follow me at les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday with the next update! Be sure to leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Laurel, your help and passion for this story has meant more than you can ever possibly know! Amanda, Becky, Mary, Jennifer, and Ness, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Big time thank you's to all of you who have followed me from The Path We Choose. This is a much different story from that one, but I hope you will fall in love with it as much as you did TPWC. To all you new readers, thanks for giving my story a try. I hope you enjoy it!**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story!**

**I need to send out a very special thank you to _obsmama_ for the amazing review she did for _The Greatest Gift_ on the IndieFicPimp blog! What a surprise and a shock. Thank you so very much for the wonderful words! You can read the review at www(.)indieficpimp(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now…on with the story! Be sure to read the bottom A/N...I have something for you all!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 6**

"Edward, are you all right?" Isabella asked again. While she was thrilled beyond words to get the invitation to stay in his bed tonight, she was still slightly confused as to the reason for Edward's strange behavior. That didn't mean she would turn him down either.

She wasn't an idiot.

To say she missed sleeping next to her husband, well, understatement didn't even come close to explaining her feelings on the matter. Loving someone the way she loved her husband and not being able to feel his presence at night was especially painful. They did occasionally share the same bed, but it certainly wasn't as often as she wanted or needed. She was a very self-sufficient woman but at night she desperately missed the way it felt to be held by Edward. She hadn't been lying earlier when she told him that one of the few times he was affectionate or made her feel special was during their lovemaking and immediately following.

Isabella married Edward knowing full well what she was getting into. She had no illusions about him at all. Hopes, yes, but she never expected him to change who he was. Not for her and not for anyone else either. What she did wish and pray for was that he would come to realize he could trust her and open himself up to her. She knew, with all of her heart and soul, that Edward Cullen was a much different man beneath the iron mask he wore. She knew it, could feel it. She never would have been able to give her heart and body to someone who wasn't worthy of her. Of course, Edward needed to believe that himself. Even after all this time, he still did not.

Edward felt like he was out of control, his emotions were all over the damn place. _What the hell was_ _he thinking?_ he mentally berated himself. There was no way Isabella would stay with him, no matter how enjoyable the afternoon and ultimately the evening as well, had turned out. Why the hell would she even think about it? Edward couldn't help but feel a bit despondent over the fact that his wife didn't give him an immediate answer, no matter how fucking hypocritical that was. It was his own damn fault that Isabella couldn't give her answer without needing to think about it first.

He wanted her in his bed tonight, and if she'd agree, every night from here on after. He was a damn idiot for allowing her to leave in the first place. Well, in the spirit of the whole 'fixing mistakes and righting wrongs' thing he had going on right now, Edward grudgingly admitted he didn't allow anything. Isabella chose to leave their bedroom for very valid reasons; it was Edward's own stubbornness and guilt that kept him from begging her to return. Well, that along with his own fears and insecurities.

"Love?" Edward squeaked, yes squeaked out as he looked at her.

It was with a bit of hesitation and a lot of trust in herself that Isabella finally answered him. "Yes, Edward. I'd love to stay with you tonight."

Edward could not stop the relieved breath he let out at her answer. It had been painful to watch the myriad of emotions play out in her gorgeous brown eyes and across her beautiful face. Surprise, pain, wariness, and then as he'd come to recognize, hope. Edward still felt as if he was coming apart at the seams; the day's extraordinary events catching up with him and they threatened to swallow him whole. Somehow he knew that Isabella's soothing presence would keep him from coming totally undone.

"Thank you, love," Edward said softly as he held his hand out to her so they could go upstairs together.

When they arrived at the top step Isabella turned quickly and said, "I'm going to get ready for bed in my room. I'll see you in a few minutes." She kissed him on the cheek before quietly making her way to her own room.

Watching her walk away was actually physically painful for Edward. His entire body screamed its displeasure at the loss of her closeness, a fact which he didn't even want to begin to explore as of yet. When he heard the soft click of Isabella's door close behind her he turned and walked to his own room.

He was nervous, terrified actually, of having her in his bed again after all this time. Oh, he wanted it. He wanted it more than being inside of her again, and he wanted _that_ really fucking badly. But the thought of being able to hold her while she slept, the need he felt, actually caused his hands to shake.

"What the hell is the matter with me?" Edward huffed at himself as he ran his hands through his hair while he sat on the edge of his bed thinking there could be any number of answers to that question.

"Do you want an honest answer to that question, Edward Anthony?" Seth asked as he materialized in the same chair he'd sat in earlier.

Edward shook his head without looking up at him, knowing exactly what the matter was. He was a fucking idiot, the biggest asshole on the planet, and the most thoughtless husband ever, all rolled into one wretched package.

He threw himself back on the bed and sulked. He was really fucking exhausted but his mind wouldn't let him relax. Finding out about your imminent death kind of had a way of doing that to a person, Edward chuckled to himself ruefully.

"I'm going to fuck this up, you realize that don't you?" Edward asked the angelic presence. He was still lying back on the bed with his arm over his eyes. He didn't want to make any more mistakes where Isabella was concerned, but his track record certainly didn't give him a reason to think any differently. He was a monumental failure as a husband, as painful as that was to admit.

"Edward, knock it off and stop pouting like a little child that's being scolded for eating a cookie before dinner," Seth said exasperatedly. "Isabella is a very patient woman, not to mention forgiving. Of course you're going to make a mistake or two, or hundred, as you try to repair the damage you've caused. It isn't going to be easy; you'd best realize that up front."

Seth waited patiently in his unnecessary chair for Edward to process what he'd just told him. Edward had made tremendous progress throughout the evening, Seth ruminated while Edward stubbornly continued to wallow. Grudgingly, Seth even allowed that it was quite remarkable that Edward had had the courage to ask Isabella if she hated him, even though he was convinced her answer would be yes. Not to mention the being friends question. That one took Seth completely by surprise, a feat which he would be keeping to himself that was for sure. No reason for the others to ever get wind of that fact; he'd be the laughingstock of his kind.

"I don't want to hurt her anymore," Edward said softly.

"Then don't," Seth answered succinctly.

Edward rolled over and regarded the being in the corner. While there was a part of his mind that recognized the fact that he was talking to an otherworldly creature, it still felt as if it was only a dream. He wished it was a dream. Not all of it, of course. He didn't ever want to wake up and have things go back to the way they were before, but Edward fully admitted he wasn't ready to die. He didn't want to die, not when he'd finally realized if he allowed it, he could be truly happy.

"You know I will, even if I don't want to," Edward replied back. "I don't know how to do this."

Seth had a smart ass comment of 'for someone so smart, you can be really stupid sometimes' ready to go, but he changed his mind after seeing Edward's pained expression. Sighing and shaking the floor in the process, the angel looked at his charge and instructed in a soft tone, "Edward, just be yourself. The real you, not the one you pretend to be to the outside world. Be the man that swept that incredible woman off her feet five years ago. Be the man that forgot about business deals and his past and let go of it all to enjoy his honeymoon with his new bride. Be the man that came home today, excited and happy to see his wife, the one that ate dinner on the deck and ice cream under the stars.

"You have to let her in, Edward Anthony," the seraph stated with certainty. That was the crux of it all and Edward would soon realize that, no matter how much he resisted. It was imperative, on par with repairing the damage he'd done to Isabella. Edward had to face his past. It would be monumentally painful and difficult, but with the help of his wife, he could do it.

Edward needed to believe that though, and that wouldn't be an easy task, even for one as gifted as Seth or for one as loving as Isabella.

"Not tonight I don't," Edward hedged. _One thing at a time,_ he told himself. He'd focus on Isabella first; it was much more enjoyable than facing his past.

"Soon," Seth reminded him, and Edward nodded, but didn't answer.

"Tomorrow you will see your father and brother at the office, yes?" the angel questioned, though he already knew the answer. At Edward's affirmation Seth waited until Edward looked at him. "Tomorrow you begin repairing those relationships as well."

"Emmett only," Edward replied obstinately. He wasn't ready to discuss Carlisle yet. _How much could one man be expected to do?_ he rationalized. He was only human after all, unlike others who shall remain nameless.

"Edward," Seth admonished, but Edward shook his head stubbornly. "Not yet, I'm not ready for Carlisle," he practically begged.

"You don't have time to waste, Edward," the persistent being reminded him, albeit gently.

"Am I going to die tomorrow?" Edward retorted sharply, more than was necessary he would concede.

Seth's blue eyes bore into his willful charge but he shook his head in answer to the question. "No, you are not."

"Then Carlisle can wait," Edward replied, thankful for the reprieve.

"I suppose he can," Seth granted and sat back in his chair as he regarded Edward. There was much the angel could have told Edward about the man that had taken him in twenty-one years ago, but he decided that it could wait. Edward would have to learn much about Carlisle Cullen. He would also come to find out that much of what he believed was inaccurate, and the cause of large amounts of unneeded pain and suffering on both their parts.

What the angelic presence also hoped was that his assignment would also realize that not only would he benefit from making amends, but the rest of his family would as well. Much of what had happened to the entire Cullen family as a result of the events from Edward's childhood was based on half-truths and misunderstandings. But, as with the discussion of where Seth went when he left Edward, this particular discussion could wait for another time. Especially because the delightful Isabella was almost finished with her nightly ritual.

"You going to be okay?" the angel questioned, a tad worried because Edward had yet to move from his position on the bed.

"I suppose that depends on your definition of okay," Edward said sarcastically causing the angel to let out a booming laugh, one that shook the walls and nearly toppled over the picture frame that resided on Edward's bedside table.

Seth grinned, his white teeth gleaming and his eyes twinkling. "That, Eddie, my boy, was a good one," he acknowledged with a clap of his hands.

The boisterous being stood - well it looked like he floated, but that was neither here nor there - and looked down at the man on the bed. "Be careful with her, Edward. I won't take too kindly to you hurting Isabella again. You've made tremendous progress tonight where she is concerned, try not to blow it to shit if you can at all help it." The smug angel smirked.

Edward stood up and sighed deeply, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and feel his wife next to him and said, "I'll do my best."

Seth slapped Edward on the back and practically knocked the wind out of him, but neither reacted to that fact. "That is all I'd ever ask of you," the annoying being prodded then disappeared.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered.

The timid knock on the door a few short moments later got Edward's heart pumping and made his palms sweat. He was so damn nervous, and for a fraction of a second even contemplated not answering the door, but dismissed that thought as soon as he had it. What an asshole he was for even thinking that, even for a second, he remonstrated himself and took a deep breath before he strode to the door and opened it.

Isabella closed her eyes and tried counting to ten before she knocked on the door. It was ridiculous, when one stopped to think about it, to be nervous about sleeping in the same bed as your husband. The fact that she was indeed nervous just emphasized the true state of her marriage. Isabella was a very intuitive, perceptive person, and she knew without a doubt that there was much more going on with her husband than a scary plane ride home.

Edward held on to the doorknob for a second before he opened the door. "Hi," he said softly and a bit hesitantly.

He wasn't kidding when he told the angel person he didn't know how to do this, be a man in love with his wife, openly. He had no fucking clue to be perfectly frank, and it was extremely unnerving. He was Edward Cullen, multimillionaire, powerful businessman, a force to be reckoned with in the business world, yet here he was, standing in his bedroom facing his beautiful wife, and he didn't have a fucking clue what to do next.

Pathetic.

Thankfully, she was braver than he, and after she smiled and said hello, she breezed into the bedroom. Oh, her heart was pounding just as hard as his was, but Isabella had learned long ago from her Nonna that there were times that a woman needed to be in control of things, and from the look of her rather shell-shocked looking husband, she figured now was probably one of those times.

Isabella stopped by the end of the bed and looked around the room. She'd been in here of course since she moved to her own room. She'd even spent the night in here from time to time during some of Edward's more open times. Somehow though it seemed more intimate to be in the room with him, here tonight, but that particular feeling wasn't unwelcome at all.

Edward stood awkwardly and watched Isabella move around his room…what should be their room. When she stopped at his bedside table and picked up the picture that had been there for as long as he could remember, he held his breath. The picture was his favorite and though she would never know this, Edward looked at it every night before he went to bed, without fail. It was taken while on their honeymoon. It reminded him that he could be happy, because in that picture, he was truly happy. The picture had been taken on one of the few trips away from the hotel they had made. They were standing in front of the Trevi Fountain and another tourist offered to take their picture. Isabella was so happy at the prospect Edward didn't even think about telling her no and he was extremely thankful for that. The picture was breathtaking and Edward couldn't remember another time he smiled so much or so freely.

Isabella put the picture down on the table and sat down on the bed. She looked at her husband, who had yet to move. "We were so happy that day," she said wistfully as she looked back at the picture.

"We were," Edward agreed quietly and moved toward the bed.

Because he had asked some pretty eye-opening questions, Isabella decided it was only fair to ask one of her own. "Do you think we can be that happy again?"

The question, spoken so clearly and without a hint of anger or bitterness, pierced Edward's heart and literally brought him to his knees. He leaned forward on the bed and rested his elbows on the edge, hanging his head in his hands. When he finally had the courage to look up at her, he didn't know how it was possible she was still here and still willing to give him a chance.

As Edward stared at his brave wife, he thought about the multitude of ways he could answer that question. None of them were fair to her and he had vowed to be honest with her from now on so that is what he would be. "I don't know how to be happy," he answered forlornly.

Isabella inhaled a deep breath at his statement. _My poor husband_ , she thought to herself. _So scared to_ _open himself up to anyone, even the one that loves him completely, faults and all._ Whatever demons he wrestled with from his past, well they didn't know who they were dealing with when it came to Isabella Swan Cullen. Edward belonged to her and there was no way after the evening she'd just spent with him, after the steps forward they'd made, that she was going to let them take him away again.

"You do, but you're scared," she told him. "You're going to have to trust me, Edward; you're going to have to let me in. I can help you, but only if you let me."

"Isabella, I…" Edward started but then closed his mouth. He had no idea what to say to her. The thought of sharing what had happened to him before he was adopted by Carlisle and Esme absolutely paralyzed him. He'd never talked about it to anyone, not once. Hell, he worked exceptionally hard on a daily basis to not even think about it and managed successfully for the most part. It went without saying, however, that perhaps his life might be more enjoyable if he didn't spend every waking moment forcing himself not to think about it. It made focusing on other aspects of his life rather difficult, the present state of his marriage an example of what doing that caused.

Isabella laughed lightly and looked at him, her eyes warm and loving. "One step at a time, sweetheart. I didn't mean you had to do it tonight, though I hope it's soon. We have time," she said offhandedly and Edward's heart seized painfully.

_If only that were true,_ he thought despondently to himself.

Again, he pushed those thoughts to the side. For the first time in much too long, his bed would have his wife in it and he wanted to enjoy that fact. He had time for the rest later. How much, he didn't know, but with Isabella waiting to spend the night with him, he had much more pressing matters to attend to.

Edward stood and walked to her and bending down he kissed her softly, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I'm going to go change, love. I'll be right back."

The kiss was reminiscent of the one he'd given her when he first arrived home hours ago. Isabella reached up and rubbed her lips after he'd gone into the bathroom to change for bed. Her heart was fluttering and there was that nervous, tingly feeling in her stomach as she thought about sleeping next to her husband. The day had been something else and totally unexpected. She hoped for a nice conversation, maybe over the dinner she had prepared, and that was it.

Her entire relationship with Edward was changed now. She wondered if he realized that. After their lovemaking this afternoon and the talk they'd had during and after dinner, the things they'd both admitted, there was no way she could ever go back to the way things were before today.

Isabella walked around the room while she tried to get her spiraling emotions under control. Yes, things were much different between them now. Edward was hiding the real reason for his abrupt change in attitude, but she didn't mind. She knew something had affected him deeply; she knew that for certain. And yes, she supposed a scary plane ride would be enough to make anyone, even a man as closed off as her husband was, take a look at their life and reevaluate, but she also believed there was more he wasn't ready to reveal yet.

Edward Cullen was a very intense, powerful man. It stood to reason that he would treat his wife, when he allowed himself to that is, with the same intense, all-encompassing devotion. Isabella shivered at the prospect. It may have been wrong, she didn't really know, to admit that the idea of being the object of all those feelings was tremendously exciting. In fact, she wanted it very badly.

The sound of the door opening turned Isabella's attention to the very man she'd just been fantasizing about. _Damn, he's so incredibly sexy_ she thought to herself and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying that exact thought out loud. And she got to spend the entire night in bed with him, she giddily thought, too.

Edward awkwardly stood in the open doorway and stared at her. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a frustrated breath.

He grinned at Isabella shyly and said, "I feel like a damn teenager spending the night with his girlfriend for the first time."

"Well, it's been a long time for both of us," she said, trying to put them both at ease. "Let's not over-think this, Edward. It's a bed, we're married, and we're going to sleep. It's not really rocket science."

"Thank God one of us has a functioning brain right now. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing here. I don't understand why this is so fucking hard," he sighed exasperatedly.

Isabella walked gracefully toward him, a shy but open smile on her face, and held her hand out to him as she approached him. Edward held his hand out to her and let her lead him to the bed.

"Edward, sweetheart, it's a bed, that's all. I just want to enjoy sleeping beside you and not waking up alone. It's been a wonderful night, let's not ruin it unnecessarily."

"You're right, love," he exhaled.

It was somewhat shocking when she walked to the right side of the bed. He couldn't believe she remembered, but as he'd come to realize over the past few hours, Isabella was a woman full of surprises. She giggled amusedly when he stared at her from across the bed as she began to pull down the blankets and rid the bed of the numerous extraneous pillows that adorned it.

"Edward, close your mouth and put your eyeballs back inside your head," Isabella said as she shook her head indulgently at him. "We've slept together plenty enough for me to remember you prefer the left side of the bed."

He glanced down at the picture on the nightstand and then back at the woman who had given her heart and her body willingly. The woman who had shown him he could be happy if he allowed himself to be. The woman who made him want to be a better man, one that was worthy of someone as good as she was.

Edward was overcome with so many things and had so much he wanted to say to her, but the day had taken its toll on him. Angelic beings, almost plane crashes, and life-altering realizations aside, he'd been up since before dawn and he was just plain tired. Exhausted. However, despite the fatigue that weighed him down, there was one more thing he needed to say to her before he allowed her soothing presence to calm his body and mind.

"Isabella," he said quietly after glancing at the picture one more time. "I'm…" He exhaled nervously before he looked at her. She had climbed into bed and was looking at him with nothing but warmth and support in her eyes. He took one more calming breath before he began. "I know I've failed you and I know I've made too many mistakes to count. I know I'm going to make more mistakes, even though I don't mean to. I'm going to try my damnedest not to hurt you anymore than I already have." Edward moved and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing his beautiful wife. "I don't know how to be the man you need me to be, but I'm going to try." He reached out and grabbed the picture from their honeymoon and ran his finger lightly and lovingly over the glass. "I promise you that I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure from today forward you are as happy as you were on this day." He put the picture back in its place of honor before leaning toward her.

He pressed his lips against hers and kissed her with everything he had. Edward knew she wasn't ready to hear the words yet, but he could let her know how he felt through his actions. Their tongues danced together, forward then retreating until they were both flushed and breathless. Edward tangled his fingers in her silky hair and again he cursed his stupidity. "You have always been the most important person in my life, even though I never let you see that," he whispered as he pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. "You, Isabella, are my life, and even though it took me way too long to admit it, I promise you, I'll never forget again."

"Oh, Edward!" Isabella cried and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Edward crushed her tiny body against his and held her to him, amazed by the feeling of completeness that washed over him. They sat silently, wrapped in their loving embrace, each lost in their own thoughts about the enormous events of the day before he finally, and very reluctantly, pulled away.

"It has been a long day, love. I just want to hold you in my arms tonight so that I know you're still here," he whispered as they both laid back on the bed.

Without any hesitation at all, Isabella curled up next to him and placed her head on his chest, right above his steadily, if a bit erratically, beating heart. It had been a very long time since they'd been this intimate with each other, occasional lovemaking notwithstanding. This was different, more meaningful in its own way. His asking, and her willingness to give him another chance, just drove that point home.

There was no turning back now they each realized. They would have to forge ahead down this untested road together, finding their way, through Isabella's love and Edward's willingness, to begin anew. It was as frightening as it was exhilarating. Isabella knew that what awaited them at the end of their rediscovery would be worth it, she just hoped Edward was able to keep his promise to her.

Edward couldn't stop touching her. His fingers slid in her hair and then traced nonsensical patterns on her naked shoulder. Each touch, each caress, soothed the tattered edges of his soul and helped to break through his walls.

Isabella's last thought before sleep claimed her was that if tonight had been a dream, she hoped she never awoke. She was in her husband's arms, she could hear his heart beat in a slow, steady rhythm, and each touch of his fingertips warmed her in a way no artificial source could. Whatever caused the extraordinary change in him, she was grateful for it. She was cautiously optimistic about the future. Tomorrow would be a new day and for the first time in a very long while, she was excited to see what the day would bring.

"I'll always be here, Edward. I love you," she whispered dreamily as sleep claimed her. Edward breathed in and out a few times as the lovely creature in his arms settled against him. He marveled at the way she fit perfectly, as if she had been made for him and for him alone. It was a startling thought and one that brought others to the forefront of his mind. He tried to keep them at bay, but his mind was quite uncooperative.

"I love you, Isabella," he whispered reverently and gently against the top of her head. "I have no idea how much time I have left, but I promise to show you every day until the end, just how much."

He couldn't stop the tears that slid down his cheeks, nor did he really try. He grieved for all the time he wouldn't have with her. He chastised himself for all the time he wasted. He was thankful for the chance to spend time with her in the here and now.

"You did well," the angelic being said softly as he appeared next to the window. He looked over at the couple and his heart filled with pride and love for both of them. Today had been a trying, difficult, emotional day for his charge. Seth was extremely pleased with Edward's successes and could only hope that the other hurdles were handled as well.

"I still have no idea what the hell I'm doing," Edward muttered. He didn't either. He was so afraid of making a mistake, of unknowingly hurting her that it almost paralyzed him.

"Just trust yourself, Edward Anthony, and trust the magnificent woman in your arms," Seth advised comfortingly. "This is new for both of you and believe me when I say Isabella Marie is just as scared as you are. Lean on each other, Edward."

Edward shifted in the bed and tried to calm his frenetic mind. So many things were floating around he thought he'd go mad if he couldn't shut his mind off before too much longer so he could sleep.

"Would you like me to help you sleep?" Seth asked graciously. Edward had another difficult day ahead of him tomorrow and he needed to rest.

"Yes, please," Edward gratefully answered. He was so tired. He didn't want to think anymore, he didn't even want to dream. All he wanted was to feel Isabella next to him as he slept.

"Good night, Edward. Rest well," the angel said softly as he waved his hand over Edward's head. He smiled in pleasure when he fell asleep immediately. Seth sat in his chair in the corner for a moment watching the couple in the bed before him. He smiled when sometime later Isabella murmured softly in her sleep and Edward tightened his arms around her, as if to remind her he was still beside her. She stilled immediately and Edward smiled in his sleep.

"Ahhh, Edward Anthony, you have only seen a brief glimpse of the happiness that awaits you, my young friend," Seth whispered in his bell-like voice. "You have much to face, my boy, and not all of it will be as easy as today has been, but I will, along with the lovely Isabella, be by your side." The angel bent over his two favorite humans and kissed them both on the head. "Be at peace while you sleep, my young ones, tomorrow begins a new journey for you both."

Edward heard a voice from far away it seemed like. He felt warmth cocoon he and Isabella after what felt like a kiss to the head. There was only one being that could accomplish such a thing.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered before falling completely asleep. He missed the twinkle that appeared in said being's eyes before he disappeared once more.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**So, how are we feeling now? Any better? I hope so. He has come a long way, I hope you agree...and really, it's always been there, he just didn't allow himself to show her how he felt. We'll have some light, fluffy...and yes, lemony times for a few chapters, as well as a peek into Edward Cullen, the businessman. We'll see Emmett and Jasper, too. Are you guys ready for that? Some bits and pieces of Edward's past will start to come out and Nonna isn't far away, either.**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening.**

**Now, for my little gift to all my wonderful readers! If you review this chapter, I will be sending you back a bonus scene from our favorite angel, Seth. You will get to see where he goes when he leaves Edward and maybe get a few hints as to what's coming up in the next few chapters! I will NOT be posting this anywhere else, not in an outtake or in any upcoming chapter. So if you want it, you're going to have to review!**

**Yes, I'm on Twitter now. You can follow me at les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday with the next update! Be sure to leave a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Laurel, your help and passion for this story has meant more than you can ever possibly know! Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Jennifer, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story!**

**Now…on with the story! Be sure to read the bottom A/N...I have something for you all!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 7**

Isabella awoke slowly, noticing immediately that she was not in her own room. The bare, muscular chest on which she laid was evidence of that. She smiled to herself as she tried to stay still. She wanted to enjoy the feeling of Edward's arms around her for as long as she could. She turned her head slightly to the right and placed a light kiss to her husband's naked chest, above his heart, and then settled back against him. Isabella hated to admit it, but there had been a small part of her that didn't believe he'd still be here when morning came. She was thrilled to have been wrong.

Currently she was waging a silent battle in her head. Part of her wanted to get up and begin breakfast for Edward, but part of her couldn't find the will to move from her spot. Her husband's light chuckle seemed to make her decision for her.

"You seem awfully deep in thought for so early in the morning, wife of mine," he said in a voice still rough from sleep.

Edward had been awake for quite some time already, but was as loathe to move as his wife had been. Of course, after a blissful night's rest and Isabella's tantalizing body rubbing against his as she slowly came awake, he was up in more ways than one. It did not go unnoticed that her breast, with its pert nipple, had been rubbing against his chest or that her soft fingertips ran up and down along the sensitive skin of his rib cage. That was nothing compared to the damp heat he felt where her center was pressed against his thigh as their legs lay tangled together beneath the covers. If there was a sweeter torture, Edward didn't want to know what it was, because it had taken every ounce of restraint he possessed not to roll his wife over and make love to her, take her again and again, until the irrepressible need he had for her abated.

"Well, my husband," Isabella said in a delightful tone. "I was trying to decide if fulfilling my wifely duties by making you breakfast outweighed how much I wanted to stay in bed with you." She picked her head up off his chest and looked at him. Her eyes were bright and they sparkled in the early morning sunlight. With her hair a tangled mess and her cheeks flushed, Edward thought she was absolutely stunning.

With no more than a second of thought, he rolled over and hovered above her. He dipped his head down and kissed her cheeks before brushing his lips across her moist, soft ones. "I haven't kissed you good morning in far too long, my love," he whispered before he pressed his lips against hers again.

His tongue insistently prodded at her mouth until she finally succumbed and both of them moaned in pleasure at the deepening kiss. He began to rock back and forth against her, his erection pressing along her thigh.

"I want you, Isabella. I made love to you last night in the fading light of the day; let me make love to you in the morning light, in my bed. Please," he pleaded against her lips.

"Yes, Edward. Oh yes, please," she answered, desperate to be his again.

At her request, Edward moved quickly. He slid his hands underneath her thin tank top and cupped the breasts that had just before been pressed enticingly against him. His thumbs rubbed across her nipples and when Isabella arched into his touch and moaned out in pleasure, he was almost beside himself with his need to have her.

He pushed her shirt over her head leaving her bare from the waist up. Her skin was almost iridescent in the early morning light that streamed into the room. Her nipples were a lovely shade of dusty rose and Edward wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything else so perfect in all his life.

"Oh, Isabella," he groaned out in a voice that was laced with so much want and need she felt it immediately between her legs.

"Please, Edward," she begged.

His mouth devoured her nipples, first one then the other, in ways his eyes couldn't. He teased and excited with his talented lips and tongue. He sucked, he nipped, he soothed afterward. Left then right, then back again until Isabella thought she would go out of her mind. Her chest was flushed a light pink and as she laid against the navy blue sheets of his bed, she was such a vision that Edward was sure he'd never forget how she looked just then.

"You are so fucking beautiful," he whispered against her lips, which he had neglected for far too long. "In my bed, in the morning light, I've never seen anything as beautiful as you, my love."

Isabella ran her fingers through his hair and stared deep into the green-black eyes of her husband. This was her Edward, this was the man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. This was the Edward she'd always hoped would come back to her. "Please don't leave me again, Edward. Stay with me, love me. Don't hide from me again. I've missed you so much," she cried softly against his neck.

Her words wrecked him, and then they put him back together again. "I won't, my love. I promise. No more hiding, no more running," he breathed as he peppered her cheeks and her head with kisses. "Isabella, look at me," he demanded gently, but with feeling. "Let me make love to you. I need you," he hissed then kissed her, his mouth possessing hers. "I need you," he hissed once more, his need quickly reaching a tipping point.

Edward slid a hand between their bodies and dipped his fingers beneath her delicate panties. She was so hot and, damn, she was so wet already. His finger circled her bundle of nerves and he craved each moan and squeak of pleasure that escaped her lips. He needed them. He bent his head down and took a hard nipple into his mouth once more and circled the pebbled flesh with his tongue. His fingers pressed deep inside of her and Isabella felt like she was on fire.

Her body tingled from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She was a live wire, sparks of heat and want and pleasure washing over her in waves. It wasn't enough though, not yet. She ached to feel him, all of him.

Above her…on her…in her.

"Come for me, Beautiful," he crooned against her breast as his fingers continued their skillful assault.

"Edward, oh yes…God, yes!" she cried out as the orgasm overtook her.

His fingers didn't relent as they continued on, pushing, rubbing, claiming.

Edward picked his head up and looked at her. There was a light sheen of sweat across her chest and pieces of her hair stuck to her flushed cheek. Her eyes were dilated with pleasure and her lips were red and swollen.

She was magnificent and she was his. Had always been his. Would only be his.

He felt the weight of those thoughts in his chest and instead of letting them crush him, he used them as an anchor. The truth of those words would be his guide, would be his saving grace. She would be his saving grace and no matter what happened with the rest of the mountains he needed to climb, the fact that he found his way back to her would be his greatest accomplishment.

"Edward, be inside of me please! I need to feel you," Isabella groaned out, her voice underscoring just how much she needed him.

He wasted no time in ridding them both of their remaining clothes and when they were both naked, and skin met skin, their bodies reacted in such a way that they were both breathless, both overcome with want and need.

Isabella closed her eyes briefly, wanting to just feel, to just lose herself in her husband possessing her, claiming her…consuming her. It was what she wished for, just the night before, and here he was, taking her to heights she never imagined. Her body sang for him and him alone. Only Edward knew how to touch her, where to touch her to make her body come alive.

He entered her slowly, relishing each stroke until he was buried deep inside of her, until her heat engulfed him fully. "Oh God," he breathed out, wondering if anything, _anything_ , had ever felt this good before.

"So damn good," he panted against her neck as he rocked back and forth over her body. "I've never felt…this is…fuck," he whispered, his mind spiraling with all he felt.

"Edward, oh God, I'm close," Isabella rasped as she clung to him, afraid to let go.

"Wait for me, Beautiful, just…just wait," Edward begged…demanded.

He swiveled his hips and drove himself deeper inside of her. He felt her walls pulsating around him and it was... it was so much, too much.

They kissed again, a hard, bruising kiss, but neither minded. It was as if they could not get close enough. He bent his head down and whispered in her ear, "Are you ready, my love? Can you come for me now?" His voice was silk over gravel, smooth and rough.

"Oh, Edward, yes…yes!" Isabella said, her voice shaking with her intense need to let go.

One sure, steady thrust was all she needed. He could feel it, feel her pulling him deeper inside of her. "That's it, Beautiful, let it go. I can feel you," he panted as he stared into her bottomless brown depths.

Isabella let out a wordless cry as she came undone in his arms. When she thought she could take no more, Edward followed her over the edge, pushing her to her limit once again. Their bodies quivered and shook until they were both a mass of arms and legs, their breaths heavy, as they slowly came down from the heights they had just taken each other to.

Neither one spoke for a few moments, both too overwhelmed by what had just happened to be able to speak coherently.

Isabella's stomach grumbled and Edward picked his head up from where he had it burrowed in the crook of her neck and grinned devilishly. "Hmmm, someone worked up an appetite I see."

She grinned back at him, pleased to see that he hadn't pulled away as he had before. She could feel the shift in him, and though she didn't understand what brought it about, she decided she didn't really need to know. He was here with her, and that was all that mattered.

"Yeah, I would say so. Goodness!" She giggled adorably and then blushed when he looked at her like Winnie the Pooh looked at a honey pot. Isabella ran her hands through his damp hair and purred happily when he melted against her. They stayed that way for as long as they could before Edward groaned.

"I need to get up and start to get ready. I need to go to the office," he said in a tone of voice that indicated just how unpleasant that thought was to him.

"Yes, I suppose you have a publishing empire to run, don't you?" Isabella teased, but there was a trace of anxiety and bitterness beneath the surface.

She was afraid for him to leave the confines of the little bubble they'd created since he'd come home last night. She was afraid to lose him to the world of business, power, and money that he had so immersed himself in over the past few years. She was afraid of losing the Edward that she discovered beneath his walls.

Edward knew immediately what plagued her, even without an angel having to whisper in his ear to remind him. "Hey now," he said gently as he ran his thumbs over her still pink cheeks. "I'll be home before you know it. Perhaps when I come back you can show me around the garden outside?"

"Okay," she whispered quietly.

"Isabella, I promised no more hiding and no more running. I mean to keep my promise," he told her as he kissed her forehead. "I'm going to try my damnedest to be the man that you need me to be."

"I love you, Edward," she said as she stared at her husband. He dipped his head down to kiss her one last time before he left the warmth of her arms.

"I know, my love. I've always known," he said as he softly brushed his lips across hers before he slid out of bed and walked to his bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Isabella stayed in bed until she heard the shower come on and then got up. She picked up the shirt Edward had on last night before they went to bed and put it and her panties back on before making her way downstairs to begin her husband's breakfast.

She was quite looking forward to breakfast this morning she thought with a giggle as she entered her kitchen.

Edward exited his bathroom after a long, hot, relaxing shower. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he didn't want to go to work. He wanted to stay home and be with Isabella. He wanted to curl up on the couch and watch movies all day, order in pizza, then watch more movies all night. Of course, a few timeouts for kissing and touching would be thrown in for good measure.

"You look much better this morning, Edward," the angel person said in greeting.

"Hmmm, I would imagine that is because I am better this morning," Edward retorted back as he stepped into his walk-in closet.

_Yes_ , Edward thought to himself, _he was insanely happy this morning_. Almost deliriously so. The last time he'd felt this way was in Italy on his honeymoon. He was as free and unencumbered this morning as he was during that time so many years ago.

"Edward, you still have much to do," Seth reminded him. Even the angelic prodding wasn't enough to diminish his mood.

Edward exited his closet wearing a pair of crisp gray pants and buttoning the pale lavender shirt he was going to wear today. Purple was Isabella's favorite color he thought with a start, and then smiled because he would be reminded of her now. Well, not that he wouldn't have thoughts of her all day anyway. Just the image of the way she looked this morning as she came was enough to keep him in an excited state until he saw her again.

The angel sighed, a bit put out by his charge's exuberance. Yes, it was wonderful to see, but there was still much work to be done. None of it would be as enjoyable as the lovely Isabella either. "Edward Anthony, focus here, boy. You will be meeting with Emmett this morning, as well as with Marcus, Alec, and Jasper. Do you forget why you had to make a trip out of town?"

"Of course I didn't forget about the meeting in New York," Edward replied as he slipped his shoes on and attached his watch to his arm.

Edward hurried and brushed his teeth and then ran a hand through his hair, not even bothering to try to fix it. It was useless to try because by the end of the day he would have ran his fingers through it so often, it was liable to be a mess.

"Fine," Seth said with a smile. "Go enjoy your breakfast with your delightful wife and I will speak with you when you don't have Isabella on the brain," the angel remarked with a smirk then disappeared.

Edward knew he had much he needed to accomplish today. Angelic orders notwithstanding, there were problems at the firm and it was up to him to find a way to fix them. But, before he could go conquer the business world, he wanted to eat breakfast with his wife and maybe cop a feel or two and steal some kisses as well.

Isabella heard her husband as he moved around upstairs and she couldn't keep the smile off her face if she tried. She hurried around the kitchen making him a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and some fresh-cut fruit. She had already turned on the coffee maker, one that did everything but wash dishes, and the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air of the kitchen.

She had a busy day today herself, even though like him, she'd give anything to spend the day together, just the two of them. She needed to fax in her edits on the manuscript she was working on, she was to have lunch with her mother, and then she was due at the school this afternoon for tutoring. Isabella couldn't help the tingle between her legs as she thought about what tonight would be like when they both returned home after being apart all day. She couldn't help but hope for a repeat of yesterday, complete with spending another night in bed with him. She was trying not to assume too much until things were a little more concrete, but she was cautiously optimistic.

One blissful afternoon, night, and morning did not a changed husband make.

She danced around the kitchen to the soft sounds of Nora Jones coming from the docking station and was completely oblivious to the man that watched her from across the room.

Edward almost said to hell with meetings, and the office, and the problems he had to deal with today when he caught sight of his wife as she danced around the kitchen. She was wearing his t-shirt from last night and he could see bits of her pale pink panties as she flitted around the kitchen peek out from underneath. Fucking hell, she looked so good in his clothes. She had put her hair up in a messy ponytail and as she bobbed and swayed her hips in time with the music he could see little strands of hair float by her face.

Jesus, he'd been such an idiot to have not properly appreciated what had been right in front of him.

"Hmmm mmm." Edward cleared his throat with a smile on his face. He would love to watch her all day, but he really had to go to the office.

Isabella squeaked in surprise and whipped around to face him. "Edward, sweetheart, you scared me," she breathed out and blew some hair out of her face.

"And you, wife of mine," he said in a low, sultry voice, "are positively mouthwatering in my clothes."

He walked toward her and then reached for her to pull her to him. He chuckled smugly when he felt her heart pound against his chest.

She melted against him, her body totally at his mercy. She found it difficult to think, much less resist him when he held her against him that way. He nuzzled her neck and she let him, but then regretfully she wriggled out of his grasp.

"Edward, I know you have things to take care of at the office. You need to eat so you can go," she told him as she took another step away from him.

He gave her a lopsided grin and then nodded his head. "You're right, Beautiful," he said regretfully.

Edward was rather enjoying his morning thus far and was not looking forward to what awaited him at the office, for more than one reason. He hadn't forgotten about the assignment the annoying angel person had given him last night. However, Edward had a feeling that much like Isabella, making amends with his large and boisterous brother would not be particularly difficult. At least he hoped not, he thought to himself ruefully as he recalled the feeling of nostalgia that swept over him last night when he thought about Emmett.

In a moment of spontaneity, Edward looked at her and asked, "Do you think we could have Rosalie and Emmett over for dinner one night soon?"

Isabella gasped and dropped the spoon she'd just picked up to dish Edward's fruit. "Edward, really, is everything okay?" she questioned for what seemed like the hundredth time since he'd returned yesterday.

In the five years she and Edward had been married, Isabella could recall with perfect clarity each and every visit a member of Edward's family made to their home. There weren't that many to remember. Whenever their attendance was required at a family function it was always someplace else.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays…all were held at either Carlisle and Esme's or Rose and Emmett's.

After taking a sip of the coffee his wife had lovingly prepared for him, exactly the way he liked it, he set the mug down on the small breakfast table where he waited to eat and looked at her. "It really was a very scary plane ride," he told her with feeling.

"Must have been," she responded back. Isabella finished preparing his plate and carried their plates to the table so they could eat together. There was no way she was going to ruin either of their good moods by pushing when he wasn't ready so she asked brightly, "When would you like them to come over? I think it's a wonderful idea, by the way."

Edward let out a relieved breath, thankful for the reprieve. He was under no illusions about his wife, however. He knew he would have to begin the painful and terrifying process of really opening up to her, but it didn't have to be right now. "Well, I'll be seeing Emmett at the office this morning. How about if I ask him and then see what works for him and Rosalie?"

As much as Edward was not looking forward to taking the necessary steps to repair his relationship with his brother, there was no denying how much he was looking forward to spending more time with him. Emmett had a way of looking at the world that he couldn't help but admire. It wasn't foolhardy or any such thing, but Emmett always tended to look for the good in a situation and chose to focus on that instead of anything negative. It was, admittedly, a much better way to go through life than Edward's way of pessimistically always assuming the worst.

"Sounds wonderful, Edward. It will be nice to see them," Isabella said a bit wistfully. She adored both Rose and Emmett and didn't see Jack and Emma anywhere near as often as she would like.

"I'm sorry for making it difficult for you to be close to them, Isabella," Edward told her apologetically.

"Well, it's nothing that we can't correct now, right?" she said reassuringly and placed her hand on top of his.

He turned his hand over, linking their fingers together and lifted their joined hands to his mouth. "Yes we can, Beautiful," he said as he brushed his lips back and forth across the soft skin of her wrist.

"Mmmm, you smell so good," Edward said as he lifted his green eyes and stared at her.

Isabella's brown eyes were hooded in lust; she couldn't try to hide it even if she wanted to. The moment his soft lips touched her skin, she felt it between her legs. Her nipples hardened almost instantly and her heart started pounding erratically.

"Edward," she said on a soft breath and before she knew what was happening, Edward had pulled her into his lap and had his lips attached to the tender skin of her neck.

"I don't want to be away from you all day," he breathed against her as his tongue tasted her.

He moved his lips from her neck to her mouth and kissed her deeply, passionately. When they had to separate to breathe he leaned his forehead against hers and said, "Tell me I can have you in my bed again, tonight, please?"

Isabella wrapped her arms tightly around him and felt his heart pounding against her chest. "Sweetheart, yes. Shhh," she whispered as he took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

Edward was anxious about being separated from her. He didn't want things to go back to the way they were before he got on that plane yesterday. He didn't want to act like he was indifferent to her, even though the opposite had always been true. He didn't want to go to the office and be Edward Cullen, the sanctimonious prick most thought he was.

He didn't want any of those things any longer.

He wanted to be Edward Cullen, husband to Isabella Cullen, and one that was wildly, passionately in love with her, too.

Isabella could feel Edward tremble in her arms and she was so confused, but at the same time, it was a most welcome thing to know that he didn't want to be away from her. Most mornings he would leave for the office as soon as he was done with breakfast. For him to sound so reticent to leave, well, it was quite the change and quite the progression, too.

Her husband's baby steps had turned into leaps, and as excited as she was by that prospect, she intuitively understood that he would only scare himself by trying to do too much, too fast.

She kept him wrapped in a tender embrace for a few more moments before she kissed his cheek and then held his face in her hands so she could look at him. "My sweet husband, as tempting as the thought of spending the day with you is, we each have commitments. I appreciate the thought, though," she said with a wink and climbed off his lap.

"How about I make some homemade pizzas for dinner and we watch a movie afterward?" she asked as she picked up the dishes to take them to the sink. "I think I'd rather enjoy a night spent snuggled on the couch with you."

Edward ran his hands through his hair and tried to pull himself together. Surely he could manage to be away from her for a few hours, as unappealing as that thought was. "Maybe we can make it a scary one so I have to hold you close?" he asked with a soft smile.

"Hmmm, perhaps," she said cheekily.

Even though he didn't want to do it, Edward stood up and picked his briefcase up off the island so he could go to the office. "I won't be late," he told her and she nodded her head.

He brushed his lips against hers before kissing her deeply, a promise of things to come later tonight.

"Have a nice day, sweetheart. If you need me, just call, okay?" she asked. Edward was immediately flooded by the thought that she'd always been there; he was just too scared and too stubborn to recognize it.

He pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead before he whispered, "I've always needed you, my love. I'll call you later, Beautiful."

Isabella watched him walk out the door to meet the car and driver that picked him up every morning and smiled.

Baby steps indeed, she thought with a giggle. She rather liked the new and improved Edward Cullen and decided right then and there that she would move heaven and earth, if necessary, to keep him around.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**I really loved writing this chapter and I am sure you all are happy to see the Edward we all love so much and get away from the heavy stuff for a bit! We will be taking a break from it like I said, for a few chapters while Edward and Isabella reconnect. I think you'll all like the next few chapters!**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening.**

**You guys sure did blow me away with the reviews for last chapter! You must have really wanted to see more Seth! Not that I blame you! How did you like it? I have another bonus scene for you that includes 2 people we haven't seen yet, but everyone has asked about. Again, I will NOT be posting this anywhere else, not in an outtake or in any upcoming chapter. So if you want it, you're going to have to review! Here is a taste of what you will get with the bonus scene...**

_**"Seth, you should be..." Gideon began but then his attention was focused on what Seth was looking at.** _

_**"Good morning, Es," Carlisle Cullen told his wife affectionately as he entered a kitchen in a house only a few miles away from that of Edward and Isabella.** _

_**It might as well have been on the other side of the country considering the distance between the occupants of the two homes.** _

**Yes, I'm on Twitter now. You can follow me at les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday with the next update! Be sure to leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Laurel, your help and passion for this story has meant more than you can ever possibly know! Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Jennifer, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story!**

**Now…on with the story! Be sure to read the bottom A/N...I have something for you all!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 8**

"Do you think you're ready for conversation now?" Seth asked with a raised eyebrow as he and Edward sped off toward the offices of Cullen Publishing in downtown Chicago.

Today the angel was dressed much like Edward, wearing a pair of black dress pants and a surprisingly manly, at least on the otherworldly being, baby pink dress shirt with a black and pink striped tie. His feet were inside of another pair of expensive black dress shoes and Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before him.

"You pick out your own clothes?" Edward asked, truly wondering why the pretense with the clothes if he was the only one that could see him. Of course, the angel being dressed was preferable to his being naked, but he didn't understand why the lengths to dress as nicely as he did. Edward shivered as an unbidden image of Seth dressed in a toga with white wings flitted into his mind. There was no way he would have ever been able to handle such a thing!

Seth's blue eyes twinkled again and he let out a rumbling laugh and then looked pointedly at Edward and said, "Why? Do you need pointers or something? You seem to have as impeccable a taste in clothes as I do, my young friend."

Edward scoffed and rolled his eyes and said, "No, of course I don't need pointers from you. I was just wondering why, if I am the only one fortunate or unfortunate enough to see you, you felt the need to dress as you are."

The being arranged himself in the back of the Escalade and regarded his charge for a moment before speaking. "I'll let the fortunate versus unfortunate comment slide for the time being, only because I know you said it to see if you could get a rise out of me. You might want to remember what I told you yesterday, Edward Anthony. You'd be much better off using your remaining time to figure out how to straighten out the mess you've made of your life instead of purposely trying to antagonize me," Seth finished sternly.

Properly chastised, Edward huffed and looked out the window without comment. He was nervous and on edge, for more than one reason. Being away from Isabella was hard, a fact of which he had to finally admit. He had always felt uneasy when he was apart from her; it was just now so much more since he was going to stop keeping her at such a distance. From the moment he closed the door behind him to go to the car all he wanted to do was run back inside and just be near her. Taking her back to bed and making love to her all day wasn't even a calculated thought, though he certainly wouldn't have turned it down if the opportunity had presented itself, but it was more than that. Ever since he walked into his house last night, the pull to be near her, to touch her and remind himself that she was real, was like a physical reaction.

Edward sighed and Seth cleared his throat, needing to go over a few things with Edward before they arrived at CP and he had to face the myriad of problems that awaited his arrival.

"Edward, she'll be there when you get home, try not to worry," the angel tried to soothe with his words.

Edward turned slowly from the window and stared at the angel beside him for a moment before he said, "She's always been there. Why does it almost physically hurt to be away from her?"

Knowing that Edward needed to understand what he was about to tell him before he'd be able to move forward and tackle the issues at the office, Seth began quietly, "Edward Anthony, love is a very powerful, all-encompassing emotion, even for someone like you." When he noticed that Edward was about to make a comment, Seth held up his large hand in order to cut him off before he could speak. "Yes, Edward, even someone like you. While I know better than anyone that your love for the lovely Isabella has never been in question, you have done an excellent job of burying that love for her deep down inside of you. Now that you've let it out, it refuses to be contained again. You're experiencing what any person, man or woman, does in the early stages of a loving, fulfilling relationship. Yes, you've been married for five years now, but you've only just begun to truly let yourself feel and experience all that Isabella has to offer you. It's a bit overwhelming and it will require you to find some sort of balance."

Balance. _Well that really sucked_ , Edward thought ruefully to himself. After letting go and experiencing just a bit of what being free with Isabella was like, he was quite loathe to give any of that up. He must have had a far away look on his face because when he focused again on the present, he looked to his left only to find Seth gazing at him with a smirk.

"There is time for that later, Edward Anthony. Right now we need to talk about your day at CP. There is much to do," Seth said and clapped his hands together. Either Edward was getting used to the sharp, booming sound or the angel was losing his touch because the clap was barely loud enough for Edward to acknowledge. "Just keeping you on your toes, my boy," the smug being said with a wicked grin.

Said being shifted around in his seat so they could get down to business. "So, fill me in on what you're thinking about New York," Seth said in a very businesslike manner.

Edward stared at him for a moment and for the briefest of seconds he saw only a man, not an otherworldly being. Dressed as he was and speaking like one of his colleagues, it wasn't that big of a stretch.

Seth sighed mightily, thinking that if Edward didn't focus, nothing would get accomplished today at all, and that just wouldn't do. It would be even harder than before to keep Edward on task and focused on the matters at hand, now that he had begun to allow himself to feel what he tried to keep hidden for Isabella. There was still so much for Edward to try to get done. Time. It surely meant something different to his kind than to humans, but he knew there wasn't any to spare. The angel wasn't positive of the time line they were dealing with, he never was in these instances, but from much experience he knew; the end would come before Edward was ready.

It always did.

It was really hard to remain objective and somewhat detached this time around, Seth thought to himself quickly as Edward flipped through some papers he'd pulled out of his briefcase. Not only was Seth supremely attached to Isabella, Edward had also managed to become very important to him. No matter how difficult a human Edward Cullen was, and boy was he ever, the angel knew the heart and soul that was buried beneath the aloof veneer.

A loud, frustrated sigh focused Seth on the here and now and that meant finding out what Edward's immediate plans were. Everything that mattered to Edward: Isabella, her family, his parents, his family, his few friends, his business, all were part of the entire package. It was all interwoven together. Edward's past, present, his future entwined with the other pieces of his life, and all were important and essential to his finding peace. The angelic being was not wrong in placing Isabella above all else, but the rest, it all mattered as well.

"Damn, Sinclair really is becoming a pain in my ass," Edward muttered and flicked the papers in his hand onto the seat beside him.

"Yes, well, I imagine he says the same about you, Edward Anthony," the angel said with a knowing look.

Edward rolled his eyes, but didn't dispute the obvious statement. Of course Vincent Sinclair would say the same about him, Edward thought to himself. Ever since prep school and then when they were unfortunately at Northwestern at the same time, Vincent Sinclair and Edward had been adversaries. It was totally one-sided on Vincent's part, but there was no way Edward could deny that he hadn't egged him on a time or two or twenty. It was just too easy sometimes, especially as they had approached graduation and Edward had begun to make a name for himself at CP.

"Why are you so concerned about the business? Shouldn't you be concentrating on my soul or something like that instead of all this materialistic bullshit?" Edward flippantly asked but was shocked when he saw the very serious look on the angel's face.

"Edward, whether you realize it or not, or more accurately whether you choose to admit it or not, Cullen Publishing is your legacy. Sure, you didn't build it, but you've been in charge for more than five years. Your father doesn't want to run it and your brother is quite happy in his supporting role. The fate of CP rests with you, Edward, and you must do all you can to protect its future," Seth said in as serious a voice as he could. And, well, he was an angelic being, so the voice was pretty damn serious.

Edward wanted to talk about the reasoning behind that statement, but it wasn't the time or the place for such a discussion. Instead he said, "Well, obviously, Vincent is coming after me. Somehow he found out about Deaton-Hall and managed to acquire them before me. It's clear he's going to keep doing all he can to undermine me so Sinclair Publishing becomes even larger than CP. I just need to figure out how to stop him and what my next move needs to be. If he gets wind of the deal we've been working on with McMasters and Sons, and that one falls through as well, CP could really be in trouble."

It was a huge mess and one that normally would get Edward's competitive juices flowing. Maneuvering, scheming, deal making. It usually drove him and stimulated him to no end. In all honesty, it was what made him such a superior businessman. His natural charm and magnetism, coupled with his extremely sharp business mind made Edward Cullen quite the force to be reckoned with. There were many literary agents, small publishing house owners, and competitors that knew up close and personal how persuasive and commanding he could be. Even those who were on the short end of the stick so to speak when it came to a business deal or whatnot, couldn't dispute his talents. He'd seemingly been born to lead, born to run such a large and diverse company, and no one could fault his success.

Edward wasn't perfect in his business dealings, often cutting corners or bending truths to fit his immediate needs, but overall he could honestly say that he'd achieved the success he'd had fairly and with only a modicum of underhandedness. Nothing illegal, of course, and nothing that would compromise him ethically, but Edward did look for and exploit any weakness or strength to his advantage. He was rather proud of that fact to be honest. Of course he'd done little in the five plus years he'd been in charge to show his appreciation to those that worked alongside of him. He was fairly certain that because the annoyingly persistent angel was accompanying him to the office, he'd have to start rectifying that oversight.

The all-knowing angel chuckled softly beside Edward as they drove through downtown Chicago and approached the impressive building that was the home of Cullen Publishing.

"No, Edward, today will not be an easy day for you, in case you were wondering," Seth said and grinned when a look of distaste flashed across his assignment's face.

Edward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in what was surely the first of many pass-throughs. "Tell me this isn't going to be totally humiliating." He cringed as the Escalade pulled up to CP.

"What do you think, Edward Anthony?" the angel asked in a tone of voice that conveyed just how much he was looking forward to watching the day's events play out and most probably, the more uncomfortable for his young charge, the better. "Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be quite as bad you think it will be!"

"Have a good day, Peter," Edward said as he got out of the backseat. He huffed when his long-time driver stared at him with his mouth opened in shock.

_Damn, he really must have been quite the insufferable ass,_ Edward thought with a regretful shake of his head. He flashed what he hoped was a sincere smile and let out a long exhale when Peter finally was shaken out of his stupor.

"You, too, sir. I'll see you back here around eight o'clock," Peter answered.

Edward shocked him once again when he shook his head and said, "Actually, Peter, if I can manage it, I've promised Isabella I wouldn't be late. How about we plan on five o'clock?"

"Um…yes, of course, Mr. Cullen," the poor driver managed to say.

Edward entered the office without saying anything further. After stepping on the elevator and nodding at the others in the car with him, he rode to the top floor. His mind was a flurry of activity. Isabella and the way she looked in the kitchen was quite the persistent image and instead of trying to fight it, he smiled and took the next few moments to lose himself in the memory of her.

The way she sighed when she laid next to him in bed. The way she looked when she fell apart in his arms. The way she smiled at him when she caught him watching her…all those thoughts and more wormed their way to the forefront of his mind. His fingers twitched beside his leg as he thought about calling her, but he'd been gone less than an hour. If he gave in and called her now, no matter how much he wanted to hear her voice, would just make getting through the rest of the day that much harder.

He sighed, quite put out that his time for daydreaming was over when the doors to the elevator opened. He exited and made his way to his office, taking care, surprisingly without any special prodding, to say good morning to his secretary, Donna.

"Can you inform Emmett, Jasper, Marcus, and Alec that I'd like to see them in my office in an hour, please?" Edward asked her as he stood by her desk.

Donna, for her part, looked much like poor Peter had just moments ago but recovered much quicker.

"Of course, Mr. Cullen. Don't forget you have a meeting with Amy Kim from Public Relations after lunch and Reggie Loggins from distributing wants to meet with you this afternoon at about four," she told him as she checked over his calendar for the day.

She followed Edward into his office like she did every morning, but noted the obvious shift in his attitude. Edward set his briefcase on his desk before turning on his computer and then turned to his secretary and said, "That will be fine. However, I'm planning on leaving no later than five today so I can meet Isabella at home."

Donna tried to keep her face from showing her complete surprise at his statement, but Edward didn't miss it. It was kind of hard not to, but he made no attempt to explain himself. He supposed it was quite the change, but did it really mean that everyone had to look at him like he had two heads?

"Is there anything else you need before I contact the others?" she asked him once her voice returned to somewhat normal.

"No, thank you, Donna," Edward answered as he sat in the chair behind his desk. He huffed an exasperated sigh as she left the office, closing the door behind her.

"You're going to have to deal with a lot of that, Edward Anthony," Seth said as he materialized in the chair in front of Edward.

Edward glanced at the clock on his computer and realized he only had a short while before the others arrived and he wanted to call Isabella before the meeting. He didn't want to wait any longer, and besides he could always call her again later if the urge to do so came once more. As was always the case, he was sure Jasper would arrive a few minutes before the others did.

"I suppose so," Edward answered the angel, thinking that it was rather ridiculous for something as simple as expressing his wish to go home early to garner such reactions. "Okay, so you're going to be around all day?" he asked.

It did not go unnoticed that for the first time in as long as he could remember he was focused on something other than work.

"Yes, of course, Edward. Like I told you, it is imperative for you to come up with a plan that will protect the future of CP," Seth answered in a serious manner.

"I suppose you'll be explaining to me why that is the case?" Edward asked as he made a few notes of things he wanted to cover during the meeting.

"Hmmm…well, we are working on a need to know basis for the time being. Suffice it to say, when I feel it's necessary for you to know, I'll tell you," the angel said with a smirk.

Admittedly, the seraph enjoyed the gamesmanship he partook in with his young charge, but in this case Edward really didn't need to know just yet the reason behind the cryptic warning. It would come in time, but not yet.

"Hmph," Edward grunted and picked his iPhone up off his desk. "Well, because I only have a few minutes left before Jasper gets here, I'd like to call my wife if you don't mind," he said, indicating the request for a few moments of privacy wasn't really a request at all.

"Very well," the angel agreed, disappearing before Edward even had a chance to ask when he would be back.

"Damn angel," he muttered before focusing on the phone in his hands. It still amazed him, still seemed almost like living in a dream, that his life had changed so drastically in only twenty-four hours. While parts of it, like his reawakening feelings for his wife were most welcome, that whole dying soon thing left a lot to be desired.

As Edward continued to stare at his phone, trying to decide why it was causing him so much distress to make a simple phone call, Isabella was thinking about her husband. She'd gotten her edits faxed to her office at Cullen Publishing where her assistant, Meredith, would forward them to the author and now all she had to do was wait until it was time to meet her mother for lunch.

Of course the free time meant she had time to remember the morning she had spent with Edward, both in the bed and out. The sex, as it had been the night before, was beyond belief, but it was his actions in the kitchen that had her smiling like a maniac and made her heart race. Whoever would have thought that Edward Cullen, multimillionaire CEO, would want to spend the night curled up on the couch with his wife watching a scary movie like a teenager?

Isabella wasn't blinded by his sweet actions and even sweeter words though. She understood more than anyone else how easy it would be for him to revert back to his old ways. Edward had promised her he would change and she hoped he kept true to his word. The way he was last night and the way he acted this morning gave her hope that he had indeed begun to change.

She hoped so, for both their sakes. Isabella was astute enough to realize that in order for her husband to truly change he would need to open up and talk to her…really talk to her. She also knew that it would be up to her to help him do so. It was up to her to support and encourage him, to make him believe that she would be there, no matter what. She was more than a bit apprehensive about the ghosts that seemed to haunt her husband, but seeing him smile this morning made her more determined than ever to completely break through all of his walls.

Her ringing cell phone made the smile on her face even larger as Edward's ringtone played. "Hello, sweetheart," she said with a sigh, thrilled beyond words to hear from him so soon after he left.

It reminded her of when they first met and started seeing each other seriously. That nervous, excited feeling all girls, no matter their age, got at the beginning of a relationship. How you counted down the minutes until you saw each other again. How your heart raced every time you thought about him. How you couldn't wait for the next phone call. Isabella supposed that in a way, it was like she and Edward were at the beginning again. He was different, she was different, and it was as if they were starting anew. Instead of lamenting the fact that there was so much lost time, she chose instead to focus on the reward of hopefully, finally, have the Edward she'd always known had been there.

"Hi, Beautiful," Edward said. It shocked him how just the sound of her voice calmed him. "I wanted to call before my first meeting of the day."

Isabella didn't miss the hint of frustration that eked out as he ended his sentence. "Is everything okay at the office, Edward?"

On the other end of the phone, Edward pushed his hand back through his hair and spun his chair around to look out the window at the impressive downtown Chicago skyline. "Ah, well, we have some issues to deal with. Nothing too terrible and nothing that will keep me from coming home early like I told you," he answered her.

Isabella smiled a brilliant smile, even though her husband couldn't see it. "Well, I'll make sure you get an extra helping of dessert tonight, too," she giggled.

"Mmmm," he said as he lowered his voice. "How about we share a bowl of butter pecan…one bowl, two spoons?" He smiled when he heard the small gasp of surprise escape his lovely wife's delectable lips. He may have been the most neglectful husband ever and he may have spent the past few years behaving like an idiot, but he wasn't totally stupid or blind. Isabella's love of butter pecan ice cream was just one of the things, though it was small in the grand scheme of things, that he knew about his wife.

In all matter-of-fact, the list was probably much longer than his past actions and attitude would indicate, contrary to what the invisible, but very present being believed, but truthfully not much of that mattered going forward. He knew, from the moment he woke up this morning with her in his bed and in his arms, that no matter what the future held or more accurately how long that future wound up being, he was totally committed to the promise he'd made last night and reiterated this morning. He would be the man his wife needed, the one she deserved. If there was nothing else he was able to accomplish before his time was up, being worthy of Isabella and making her happy was most important to him.

"Yes, love, I'm well aware of your affinity for butter pecan ice cream," Edward said softly.

Isabella closed her eyes as she held the phone to her ear and laid a hand over her rapidly beating heart. Edward's words elicited such a strong reaction in her, somehow touching her more than the term of endearment even, though the fact that he'd called her 'love' and 'my love' and 'beautiful' hadn't escaped her. He'd been gone less than two hours and already she was counting down the hours, minutes, in her head until he would be home. It couldn't come soon enough.

Edward, for his part, was thinking much the same thoughts miles away, but one look at his watch and he knew Jasper would be arriving any minute. Using great restraint, even though he wanted nothing more than to keep talking to his wife, he knew he needed to say goodbye.

"Well, I just wanted to hear your voice before my day got crazy," Edward said, shaking his head as he realized just how very true that statement was. That whole wanting to beat his own ass for being such an idiot was making itself known again, annoyingly so, but he knew the elusive seraph would be along shortly and would take great joy in reminding him, repeatedly, how much of one he had been. Of that, there was no doubt.

"I'm so glad you called, Edward. Did you still want pizza for dinner?" Isabella asked, knowing that her phone call was coming to an end.

"Absolutely. As long as dinner is followed by dessert and time on the couch with you, it's all good," Edward answered, chuckling quietly when he heard her giggle on the other end.

"I hope you have a good day, sweetheart, and good luck with your meetings," she told him, hoping that the day wasn't too stressful for him. Of course, if he came home tense it might give her a good excuse to give him a massage. Anything that allowed her to touch him was all good in her book.

"Thanks. You have a good day, too, okay? I'll see you tonight," Edward said as Jasper walked in his office.

"Bye, Edward," his wife said softly.

"Bye, Beautiful," he answered before ending his call.

Jasper, though he tried as hard as he could, couldn't stop the scowl from showing on his face. It was hard as hell to be friends with someone like Edward Cullen, but Jasper Whitlock had managed to do so for a long time now. It wasn't without frustration, and it didn't come without wanting to kick his ass and beat some sense into his thick head either. Like Isabella and Emmett, Jasper was somehow able to look past the hard, outer shell Edward kept around him like a suit of armor and see the man that lay beneath. Besides Isabella, Jasper was the only other person that had ever seen the true Edward Cullen, and it was because of that he was seething mad right now.

Irate…enraged…furious…take your pick…because Jasper was less than a minute away from beating his soon to be ex-friend into oblivion.

As Jasper stewed, Edward hung up his phone and gathered the papers in front of him, taking a precious few moments to savor the feelings of happiness and anticipation his phone call with his wife had left him with. He heard Jasper shift from foot to foot in front of his desk and with a regretful sigh, Edward pushed all thoughts of Isabella back and focused on the issue at hand. He noticed the pink and black dressed being that suddenly materialized and was seated at the head of the conference table Edward had in his office.

Edward narrowed his eyes in warning to the audacious angel, a move that was dismissed with a wave of a massive hand.

"If you think you're staying in that seat, you are sadly mistaken," Edward sneered, though in the back of his mind he realized he was conversing with a…spirit, illusion, other worldly being…right in front of Jasper, who from all appearances, had no idea of what was going on.

The rational part of Edward recognized how farfetched the whole thing was, but since yesterday afternoon, he learned it was better to just go along with it. Anything else was liable to lead to a breakdown or men with white coats and a padded room and no one wanted that, Edward most of all.

"Whatever, Eddie," the smug angel answered and smiled what could only be described as a mischievous smile. "How about you concentrate on poor Jasper there? The man looks like he's about ready to explode."

Edward finally acknowledged his friend's presence. He took in the clenched jaw, the steely blue eyes that seemed to almost shoot sparks out of them they glinted so much, the ramrod straight posture he held himself in and asked, "What the hell, Jasper?"

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Eeek! Poor Jasper, he's gonna feel all kinds of silly when he finds out Edward was talking to Isabella, isn't he? How cute was Edward on the phone with her? Besides that part, what's happening at the office is going to be really important in the upcoming chapters, Edward just doesn't know it yet. I know this chapter was again on the shorter side, but I really did need to stop it here. Next chapter, I'll think you'll be very happy to hear is almost twice this long!**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Be sure you look at the polyvores that Laurel has put together. There are some pictures of Cullen Publishing as well as what Edward and Seth wore to the office this chapter! I love them, and hope you do too! Check out the Banners Bella Taylor and Bellabee666 have made and the amazing blinkie Laurel has made. They haven't been given the appreciation they deserve and they are out of this world!**

**You guys sure did blow me away with the reviews for last chapter! You must have really wanted to see more Seth! Not that I blame you! How did you like it? I have another bonus scene for you that is over 1500 words long (just trying to make up for the short chapter!) but it does include some background you all might like to see. Hint, hint! Again, I will NOT be posting this anywhere else, not in an outtake or in any upcoming chapter. So if you want it, you're going to have to review!**

**Yes, I'm on Twitter now. You can follow me at les_sh_16**

**I would like to take this chance to wish you and your family and loved ones a very Merry Christmas since I won't be posting until the day after! I hope your holiday season is filled with much joy, peace, and happiness!**

**See you next Sunday with the next update! Be sure to leave a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Laurel, your help and passion for this story has meant more than you can ever possibly know! Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Jennifer, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story!**

**A HUGE thank you to LabTechAndi for featuring The Greatest Gift on the Fan Fiction Friday post on Dr. Cullen's Love Shack! She wrote up the perfect summary for my story and I am so happy and grateful I can hardly stand it! Please go check it out...the site itself is fabulous!**

**www(.)drcullensloveshack(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 9**

"Who the fuck were you talking to?" Jasper hissed as he curled his fingers into tight fists beside his thighs. If Edward thought he'd just sit idly by while he screwed around with some bimbo and not say a word, the man was seriously delusional. Jasper would have plenty to say, with his fists first, and then a few choice words as well.

Edward narrowed his eyes at the man across from him and barely registered the snort from the peanut gallery off to the side. "Isabella of course, who the hell else would it be?" he asked as he gathered his papers and a few files into a pile.

"Isabella?" Jasper asked incredulously.

Edward snorted and then took a deep breath, reaching up with his free hand to pinch, hard, the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Jasper, you know my wife, Isabella. Not that it's any of your business anyway."

"But, you never call her from the office unless it's absolutely necessary," Jasper whispered, almost to himself, but Edward heard him.

Well, he knew he would have to face the music sooner or later and because the others wouldn't be arriving for a few minutes yet, he figured now was as good a time as any.

"Edward Anthony, you can talk to him. It'll be fine," Seth tried to reassure.

In some ways, today would be even more difficult for Edward than yesterday and last night had been. Sure it had been gut-wrenching to face the hard truths of his past actions and their effect on his lovely wife, but even though Edward didn't outwardly admit it, he knew Isabella loved him. Earning her forgiveness was something different altogether, but he would never have to doubt her love for him. Opening himself up to others, his friends and his family, was going to be even more difficult and ultimately painful. The reward of that difficult process was so worth it in the end of course, but Seth had no illusions that it would take some work, and more than likely some angelic intervention, to make him believe that.

Edward bent over and placed both of his hands, palms down, on his desk and hung his head and closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking the necessary time to put his thoughts into some sort of coherent order. Of course he knew he couldn't tell Jasper that there was an angel sitting in the room with them, watching his every move, but he could tell him the partial truth. He owed him that at the very least.

"Um, well I," Edward stuttered for a second before he took a deep breath and let out a long exhale. "I had an epiphany of sorts during my flight home yesterday afternoon and it caused me to well...to try to make some changes," Edward finished.

There was no way he would be able to get through this. He already felt like he was going to be sick and he could feel his dress shirt stick uncomfortably to his chest and this was after saying one damn sentence to Jasper. Not Emmett, not Esme, and certainly not to Carlisle.

He lifted his eyes and looked toward Seth, who was waiting to give him an encouraging smile.

"You're doing fine, Edward. One step at a time you know," the angel said in a patient voice.

Edward shook his head and admitted ruefully, "This is really fucking hard."

The angel rose from his spot at the head of the conference table and glided to stand next to Jasper. "Look, Edward. Nothing about what you need to do is going to be easy. You've hurt a lot of people with your past actions and attitude. Every single one of those people has loved you in some shape or form, and Jasper is no different. He's stuck by you for a long time now, Edward Anthony, not to mention he's incredibly fond of Isabella. He was only looking out for her, as any good friend should. There are a lot more people that care about you than you realize, my boy."

"I'm beginning to understand that," Edward answered quietly. Seeing Jasper get so upset at the thought of him talking to someone that wasn't his wife just drove that point home even more.

"An epiphany of sorts?" Jasper questioned and stared, dumbfounded, at his complicated friend.

Jasper was hired as an in-house attorney for Cullen Publishing before he'd even graduated from law school. His mentor and predecessor, Garrett, had worked alongside Edward's grandfather, William, for many, many years. Jasper began working for CP around the same time as Edward had, but there weren't many opportunities for their paths to cross until later. Jasper was learning the ropes of handling the many different legal matters that a company like CP had to be concerned with and Edward was being groomed to take over the company from his grandfather.

William Cullen had devoted almost his entire adult life to Cullen Publishing, especially after the untimely passing of Carlisle's mother, Olivia. The two men were very similar in their approach to business and it didn't take a genius to figure out that Edward's similarity to his grandfather was perhaps part of the reason for the rocky relationship Edward had with his adoptive father. It was by no means the only reason, it wasn't even the main reason, but it certainly hadn't helped.

"Do you want to explain that, please?" Jasper asked Edward, wondering what in the hell had happened to him. Men like Edward didn't just have 'epiphanies' unless they were precipitated by something else. Even allowing that, it would have had to have been a hell of a something else to change Edward.

Edward huffed again and again the invisible presence let Edward know he was still there by chuckling loudly.

"Look, Jasper, I can't do this now. The others will be here any moment and this isn't the time or the place to get into it all. Suffice it to say, things will change around here, starting with Isabella. We can talk more about this later if you want to," Edward told him.

Was he stalling? More than likely. Would he talk to Jasper? He didn't have a choice, but he knew he needed to regardless. Did he want to do it? Most definitely not, but it didn't matter. He had to do it all.

"You're damn straight I want to, Edward," Jasper warned him, leaving no room for doubt as to the seriousness of that statement.

Edward opened his mouth to respond back but was interrupted when Emmett, Marcus, and Alec walked in. The flash of black and pink Edward saw in his periphery reminded him that there was still much work to be done.

"Hey, Ed," Emmett boisterously said as the group made their way to the conference table. Luckily the arrogant angel made his seat at the opposite end of the table. Edward had to silently chuckle at that because, in all reality, Seth was still at the head of the table...depending on how you looked at it.

"Nice." Edward smirked at him and the angel responded with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

"I think I've already told you a time or two it will take a hell of a lot for you to get the best of me. My bet is on never, Eddie," Seth said and let out a booming laugh that shook all the glass windows in the office.

Needless to say, Edward was the only one privy to the blatant show off move.

Once everyone was situated in their seats, Edward focused on the business at hand and began to give them all an overview of his meetings in New York and the information he'd gleaned while there. He was sure and precise as he spoke, effortlessly discussing complicated business terms involving market penetration, shareholder value, and on and on.

Seth smiled as he watched his willful charge take charge and shine in his element. It really was a sight to behold. Edward was extraordinarily talented when it came to business, there was no doubting that. He was charismatic to the extreme, but had a way of speaking in such a manner that put his audience at ease.

That was not to say that Edward listened to much of what others had to say. He was supremely confident in his abilities and it was a very rare occurrence indeed when he changed his mind or asked for the input of others. His defense mechanism of relying solely on himself and the influence of his grandfather made it next to impossible for him to behave any other way.

"So what we need to decide on next is where to go from here?" Edward finished and sat back in his chair.

No one said anything and Edward looked down to the other end of the table, hoping the all-knowing angel could tell him what the hell was going on.

"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie," Seth tsked with his tongue. "Can you tell me the last time you asked any of them for their input or opinion?"

"Sure it was...well, what I mean is...no, I can't," Edward said with an ashamed shake of his head. "Is that why they're all looking at me like I just broke out into a song and dance routine naked?"

"I would imagine so," the angel affirmed with a smile. "Makes you stop and think, huh?"

"Hmph," Edward grunted, knowing, or at least hoping, the question was rhetorical.

Taking the bull by the horns, Edward sat forward and asked, "Marcus, you've known Vincent as long as I have, what do you think?"

Marcus cleared his throat a few times and sat up straighter in his chair. He was shocked that Edward had asked for his opinion, but he was ready with an answer. "Fuck Vincent Sinclair," he said emphatically. "He has been trying to make Sinclair Publishing into an imitation, and a pale one at that, of CP. If he wants to spread himself too thin, I say let him. It will only come back and bite him on the ass in the long run. The deal with Deaton-Hall was one we never should have been involved in, in the first place to be honest with you. I think this is a blessing in disguise," he finished up.

Edward raised his eyebrows at his colleague and friend, surprised by his statement. He had come to the same conclusions that Marcus just vocalized on the ride to the office this morning.

"Told you so," Seth needled, not at all surprised by the insight.

"Yeah, yeah," Edward said and waved his hand dismissively at the annoying angel person. He was thankful that both his words and actions were unnoticed by others when he was talking to the unseen being. It felt a bit surreal and a lot odd to talk to…a presence…that others couldn't see or hear, but it was what it was, and Edward had come to accept that it was just the way things would be from now on.

"What about McMasters and Sons?" Edward asked him, wondering if their thoughts meshed on that as well.

"We need them," Marcus answered without hesitation. "Their presence in the Northwest is invaluable and that's our weakest market. If Sinclair gets wind of that deal we're in trouble because McMasters and Sons is the cream of the crop out there and without them CP becomes vulnerable to being overtaken as the number one publishing company."

Emmett had been listening attentively to the discussion and shifted uneasily in his chair. Watching Edward take charge and make million dollar decisions in the blink of an eye made him realize just how much he didn't want to be in charge of CP, ever. He grew up watching his grandfather allow the business to come first. He watched his own father struggle with knowing he didn't. He watched Edward push himself to the detriment of his marriage to his amazing sister-in-law. He had Rosie, Jack, and Emma and he was happy and content to do his job as Vice President and leave the hard decisions to Edward. It made him feel a bit sad and a lot selfish at times knowing that Isabella was the one that suffered because of Edward's ambition and whatever else drove him so.

Emmett adored his sister-in-law, and besides his wife and his mother, there wasn't another woman he loved or respected more. It broke his heart that she didn't spend as much time with the family as they all would have liked, but her loyalty lay with his brother. Isabella seemed to understand Edward in a way no one else was able to. His brother had always been an enigma, since the first moment his parents brought him home from Ireland.

Emmett had always known of Edward's existence so it hadn't come as a complete surprise when his mom and dad sat him down one afternoon after school to inform him of the emergency trip to Europe they were about to undertake. Because he was five years younger than Edward, it had been a bit of an adjustment to suddenly be the baby in the family. When he told his parents he wanted a brother, he didn't mean one that was older than him, but as was Emmett's nature, he looked for the good instead of the bad.

Today as he watched Edward scheme and plan with Alec, Marcus, and Jasper, he definitely saw more good than bad.

"Hmmm mmm." Emmett cleared his throat and got the attention of the others at the table.

Edward turned toward the sound, quite caught off-guard by his brother. "Emmett, you have something you'd like to add?"

"Well, I agree that we need to try to complete the deal with McMasters, but I think we should concentrate on fortifying Cullen Publishing even more," Emmett told the group.

When Edward swept his gaze past Emmett and his eyes fell on the being at the opposite end of the table, he found said being looking back at him, sporting a grin a mile wide.

"Huh? Imagine that, Eddie. Someone besides you might possibly have something to say," Seth said sarcastically.

Edward had no comment to that except for a rather impressive grunt and turned his attention to his brother. "How do you mean?" he asked, rather impressed with the idea.

"It just seems to me, that we spend so much time trying to make Cullen Publishing bigger by acquiring the smaller, vulnerable publishing houses instead of looking within our current company and branching off that way," Emmett said.

"Damn, he's good!" Seth said and clapped his hands in appreciation. "Don't you think so, Eddie?"

Edward was in a word...astonished...by the idea his brother had and he immediately saw the advantages and the success such an idea would have. "For example?" Edward asked, wondering how much thought his seemingly uninterested brother had given this particular idea.

Emmett sat up straighter in his seat since his brother hadn't immediately dismissed him as foolish and dug in. "We have a lot of really talented authors. Why don't we see about adding some specialty sub-categories that would highlight them?"

"Go on," Edward quickly demanded, feeling his adrenaline rush as idea after idea began to fly through his mind.

Emmett shifted under the scrutiny of the other four men, but the idea he'd gotten not too long ago had been given a lot of thought. He wasn't exactly sure how Edward would take his next suggestion, but at this point he didn't have anything to lose. "I was thinking we should get Isabella to come up with a very exclusive list of authors, say of books that appealed specifically to women, and have it be its own special division. Kind of like a best of the best type of thing. We could promote it; make an entire campaign around it or something. If it takes off, we could do the same with almost all the different genres. Mysteries, romance, non-fiction, autobiographies, the list is endless. They don't necessarily have to be the best-selling, more like a critic's pick kind of thing," Emmett trailed off and he waited to see what everyone, especially Edward, had to say in response.

Edward folded his hands in front of him and laid them on the table. He looked around the table at the others, trying to gauge their reactions before he said anything to Emmett. Jasper, unsurprisingly, nodded his head in complete agreement. Marcus looked intrigued and open to the idea, and Alec, who was almost harder to impress than Edward himself, seemed wary but receptive. There wasn't any need at all to look at the other end of the table for Edward was one hundred percent positive the angel was beaming with pleasure.

Edward wasn't sure, but he had a feeling that the otherworldly being might be slightly infatuated with his wife. He also wasn't sure how he felt about it either. Totally understandable, mind you, but still.

"No substance, huh?" Seth commented with a level gaze and Edward sucked in a sharp breath.

"I'm a fucking idiot, we've already covered that," he remarked. "Look, you and I both know I had no business making a comment like that, when we both know nothing could be further from the truth. I'm ashamed of myself for saying it in the first place. Feel better now?" Edward snapped then ran his fingers through his hair.

"But of course. Now, what's your answer to your brother's suggestion?" the angel inquired in a bemused tone, leaving no doubt at all as to how the question needed to be answered.

"You all think this sounds like an idea worth exploring?" Edward asked each of his colleagues at the table. "Alec?" Edward questioned first.

Like Marcus, Alec was surprised to be asked his opinion, but also like Marcus, Alec had one ready. "My first instinct is to say let's go with it. We are all very well aware of Isabella's talents and her innate ability to find authors most editors wouldn't give a second look to. Is she ready to head something with this large of a scope, I'm not sure, but she sure as hell would be able to pick out the authors and the books. No question about it," Alec finished emphatically.

Edward was speechless. It was almost beyond his comprehension that the men he had worked with day in and day out had more faith in his wife and her abilities than he did. He'd always known she was talented, but he sure never let anyone know he felt that way, Isabella most of all.

He was such a fucking idiot.

Seth watched poor Edward as he absorbed what the others had said to him. He knew from watching the way Edward's mouth was drawn into a tight line and the way the space between his eyebrows had dipped, not to mention the fact that his normally vivid green eyes were clouded with self-recriminations, he was moments away from doing or saying something he had no business doing or saying in present company, himself excluded, of course.

A quick glance at the other men at the table served to reaffirm his belief. Emmett and Jasper looked worried, Marcus looked nervous and Alec, who was as no-nonsense as they came, looked at Edward with a look of confusion mixed with a bit of annoyance.

"Edward Anthony," the angel said sharply, getting his attention before things took a turn they didn't need to take.

Edward breathed out through his nose and slowly turned toward the loud voice. "It just keeps getting worse and worse. Just when I think I couldn't have been any more thoughtless or unfeeling, something else comes to the surface. How, or more to the point, why, in the hell is she still with me? I'll never understand what I ever did to deserve her."

"It's not for you to try to figure out now, Edward. You have a room full of your peers staring at you like you're getting ready to sprout wings and fly. Why don't we talk about this later when it's more appropriate?" the very torn angel suggested. There was still so much for Edward to understand and though the heavenly creature knew that it would take some time to get through it all, he wondered if he'd be able to make Edward understand.

Edward's mind was a chaotic mess as he struggled to tamp down the feeling of hopelessness that was threatening to swallow him whole. Looking around at the many different faces seated at the table, he realized he needed to focus on making it through the next few minutes. Falling apart could come afterward, when he was alone.

Emmett watched his brother with worried and confused eyes. The flash of utter pain he saw in Edward's eyes just a moment ago after Alec finished speaking made his heart clench. He'd never, in all the years Edward had lived with them, ever seen him react in such a way. He didn't understand what was going on, but there was no doubt in his mind that there was something going on with Edward. However, he'd long come to understand that pushing Edward only served to drive him away so he would have to wait and see if his brother opened up this time.

Emmett decided he might as well go all in since it was his idea in the first place and it wasn't like he wouldn't love to help Isabella if she decided to take on the project. "Well, I can work with her on the promoting part. If Isabella can get the list picked out, I can go from there. If she wants to help, I'd love to have her," Emmett said, obviously quite pleased with the prospect of working so close with his sister-in-law.

The affection Emmett felt for Isabella was plain as day and Edward once again felt terrible for the distance his family felt from her, and from him, too, if he was to be frank about the matter.

"Edward," Seth said trying to get his attention, but Edward waved him off. He didn't need any angelic pressure to know what to do about the recent developments. When it came to making business decisions, Edward Cullen was rarely, if ever, wrong.

"Emmett," Edward said slowly. "I think the idea has a lot of merit and just a first thought makes me believe this idea will take off. I also agree with you, and the others, that Isabella would be perfect for this," he stated, pointedly ignoring the snort from the being dressed in pink.

The meeting finished after it was agreed that Emmett would put together a full-fledged proposal for the new idea. They would meet again in the next few days to get things ironed out and begin a new campaign at Cullen Publishing. Edward felt that spark he always got whenever a good idea came to him, and it hadn't failed him in over five years so he was confident Emmett's idea would be a hit. There were still some other areas of concern as far as the stability of the company was concerned, especially in regard to losing deals to Sinclair Publishing, but he did feel a bit better about it than he had this morning on the way to the office.

Alec said a few words to Jasper before striding quickly out of the room. He was never one to stand around and talk when there was business to tend to so Edward wasn't surprised. What did surprise him was the other three standing and watching him, waiting for him to say something.

"Edward, you're going to have to say something or else the three of them are going to think you've lost your mind. Get it together, man," the angel barked at him, doing a fine job of shaking him from the stupor he was just in.

Edward was still reeling from all the different things that had just happened. Between the shock of Emmett's idea and the realization that everyone, including him, had recognized just how talented Isabella was, he was having just a tad bit of trouble doing much besides keeping himself upright. And that was only barely.

"Ed, you okay?" Emmett asked hesitantly, as if he was speaking to someone in the midst of a breakdown.

Taking a few deep breaths, Edward turned to his brother and his friends and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. The trip home yesterday was um...quite adventurous," he trailed off not knowing exactly how to word it so he didn't sound stark raving mad.

He was positive he couldn't tell them what had transpired yesterday, especially when he was still coming to terms with it all himself.

Edward ran his hands through his hair and stood up, ready for a few moments to himself. For some reason, all he wanted to do was call his wife and hear her voice and then try to get some work done. He wanted to be able to go home when he said he would, and in order to do so, there were important matters to attend to. If he was to keep his word to Isabella, and by God he would move heaven and earth to do so, he needed to work on the balance thing the annoyingly bossy angel reminded him of on the way to the office. He might not have much time left, but he knew however long it was, there was much to do.

Marcus left after asking Edward one more time if he was all right, leaving just Jasper and Emmett.

Jasper had stayed silent through the meeting, trying to absorb the changes he saw in his friend since the moment he'd walked into the office a short while ago. He was positive there was more going on with Edward than he'd admitted to, but he was willing to give him some space to work it out before he pressed him further. _Some_ space though, and he wouldn't wait long.

"I think you came up with a good plan, Emmett," Edward said a bit offhandedly and the silence that followed was deafening.

"Is this going to keep happening?" Edward turned to ask Seth, who was watching the scene in front of him with a serene smile.

"Well, my young friend, it's obvious that not even your brother or your best friend has seen much of the true Edward Cullen, so yes, I would imagine it will keep happening until they can see you've changed," the angel answered.

"This is going to get old really damn quick," Edward muttered and then turned back to the two men across from him, not acknowledging the chuckle the angelic being let loose at his uncomfortable position.

Edward tried to calm his erratic nerves and kept telling himself that he could talk to Isabella in a minute, as soon as he talked with Emmett and Jasper.

"Okay, look, let's get this over with so you two can stop staring at me like I'm going to turn into a pumpkin or something at midnight. I realize that I might not be acting like I normally do, but you better get used to it because it's not going to change," Edward said and looked from Jasper to Emmett. "Emmett, I already told this to Jasper, so I'll explain it to you. I...um, well, had a rather rude awakening," he said and smirked in the direction of the angel at the table, to reinforce the rude part. "...on the plane ride home yesterday. I realized that I needed to make a few changes in my life, and well...I intend to do just that. I'm...ah...um," Edward stammered and then took a deep breath, just wanting to get this part out. "I'm sorry for the way I've acted toward both of you and I hope that in time you can forgive me," he finished and hung his head while he breathed in and out.

There was more he needed to say, but it was a start at least. Edward picked his head up and turned to look at Seth. Instead of the smug smile or a disapproving look he expected, the angel graced him with a sincere and loving smile. "See, Eddie, it's not as bad as you thought it would be, is it?"

Edward ran his hands through his hair and shook his head slightly. Besides the fact that his insides felt like they'd been put in a blender and he was sweating, he had to acknowledge it wasn't quite as terrible to admit to being an ass and ask for forgiveness as he imagined it would be. Oh, there was still more to say and more to have to admit to, he knew that full well, and he knew that this was just the very tip of a very large iceberg, but it was a start. Edward even was able to recognize that he felt a tiny bit better after saying just that much.

"Ed, man, is there anything else going on?" Emmett asked with a worried frown. He was as confused as hell by the total one-eighty his brother had undergone since he left for New York.

"No, Emmett, there is nothing else going on. I figured stopping being an asshole was quite enough, wouldn't you say?" Edward said with a roll of his green eyes.

Emmett couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face as he listened to his brother joke. He couldn't remember the last time Edward joked around with him and while he was sure that there was more going on than Edward said, he decided he'd quit while he was ahead.

Jasper snorted at the attempt at humor as well and also decided to give Edward a break for now. It was nice to see his friend smile and there was no sense rocking a boat that was for the present, calm. He'd give it a few days to see what happened and then he would talk to Edward some more.

"Edward, we'll talk again soon," Jasper told him, leaving no room for Edward to think he'd wait too long to finish their discussion.

Edward sighed once Jasper left the room, leaving him with just his brother and of course the ever-present angel.

Emmett couldn't decide what to do next, so he did what came naturally and tried to make a somewhat tense situation a bit better. "Jack's first t-ball game is tomorrow night. Rosie is so nervous you'd think he was pitching in the World Series or something the way she keeps going on and on about it."

Edward couldn't help but smile at that, knowing his sister-in-law, but then startled briefly when he had to acknowledge that he didn't remember that Jack was old enough to even start playing baseball. _Well_ , he thought to himself, _no time like the present to do something about it_. "I'll be sure and tell Isabella. I'm sure she'd love to go watch him. Speaking of," he began slowly as he watched his brother's eyes widen in surprise, "we were wondering if you, Rose, and the children would like to come have dinner sometime soon, if you are free of course."

Emmett's heart skipped a beat and without even thinking about it said, "Hell yeah, we'd love to, Edward. The sooner the better." He would probably be in hot water with his even hotter wife, but he'd make it up to her if necessary.

Edward inhaled and then let it out in a calming breath and took a chance and peeked at the very proud-looking being and grudgingly smiled back at him. "Yes, I know. This wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be."

"That's because I'm always right, Edward, or did you forget?" Seth asked with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Edward and Emmett made tentative plans for dinner on Thursday night, and then Edward sat down to get to work, working straight through until his meeting with Amy Kim. After discussing the myriad of Human Relations issues that needed his attention, they concluded their meeting and Edward let out a moan. Normally a day like today was nothing if not stimulating, but Edward was anything but at the moment as he thought about going home to his wife. Well, that was not entirely true because parts of his body were well on their way to becoming embarrassingly stimulated as he imagined how she would feel in his arms when he got home.

Edward picked up his phone and sent Isabella a quick text, something he'd done very little of in the past, and got back to work, trying mightily to focus on the tasks at hand, instead of what the night would bring.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Isabella pulled up in front of the school where she did her tutoring just as Edward's message came through on her phone. Smiling she picked it up as soon as she parked in her normal space. Texting was not something Edward usually made a habit of doing, but much like the morning's breakfast, she hoped it was a sign that he truly was trying to change.

_**Beautiful, did you know that it's less than three hours until I get to see you? Can't come soon enough if you ask me. Be safe going home. ~ Edward** _

Isabella giggled like a schoolgirl with a huge crush on the captain of the football team and couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her lips as she put her phone back in her purse. She debated on sending him a text back, but in all honesty, she was rather enjoying being pursued as she was at the present. It was about time for her husband to make an effort and as long as he was willing to do so, she was willing to play along. It was quite the boost for her ego she admitted with a smile.

She entered the school carrying the box of cookies she'd made while waiting to have lunch with her mother. She even put a few aside for Edward as a treat for later as well, especially because besides mint chocolate chip ice cream, double chocolate chip cookies were his favorite. He might have suggested butter pecan ice cream earlier, but she knew he'd never turn down a chocolaty treat if one was offered to him.

Tutoring went well and she found that her hour and a half sped by almost in the blink of an eye even though she was pretty sure that it was because she was just so anxious to get home. And see Edward. All day she'd had a nervous feeling in her stomach, hoping and wondering which Edward would come home to her. The sweet, almost carefree man that left this morning or the cool, distant one she unfortunately knew so well.

It went without saying which one she hoped for, but until she saw with her own eyes, she tried not to get her hopes up too much.

She drove her Lexus LFA home and parked in the garage, grabbing the few things she'd picked up at the market on the way home for their dinner. She carried the bags into the house and glanced at the time on the oven and her stomach fluttered when she realized it would be an hour until Edward had said he would be home. If he left the office when he told her would, he should get home somewhere around six o'clock, barring any unforeseen traffic problems.

Isabella quickly and efficiently chopped the vegetables they would use for the topping on their pizza and made two homemade pizza crusts. As soon as that was done, she chopped some tomatoes and prepared the sauce, using her Nonna's secret recipe. Once everything was done as much as it could be until it was time to bake the pizzas, she made her way upstairs to change her clothes. Going into her own room caused her to take a few deep breaths because if last night taught her anything, it was that she'd much rather be in the room down the hall.

There wasn't much point in spending time thinking about all that right at the moment, she reminded herself. She quickly undressed and then pulled on a well-worn pair of jeans, a dark brown t-shirt, and put her hair up in a loose ponytail. When she passed the mirror that hung over her dresser, she couldn't help but notice how bright her eyes were or the tinge of pink on her cheeks when she thought of how soon it was until Edward arrived home. She sprayed a bit of perfume on and ran a tube of lip gloss over her lips before going back down to the kitchen.

She went into the living room and found her favorite station on the satellite radio and again checked the time. Isabella took a few deep breaths and laid her hands over her stomach to try to keep control of her spiraling nerves. Edward was her husband for goodness sake, she admonished herself, but it was exceedingly hard to try to keep things in perspective. Try as she might, she couldn't stop the thoughts of Edward and the way he'd looked this morning and the way he'd begged to have her in his bed again tonight. She wanted it; she wanted it so badly.

While she was busy getting the plates down out of the cabinet and searched for the bottle opener for Edward's favorite beer, Edward quietly entered the house and leaned his briefcase against the wall by his feet. His heart was beating a mile a minute and his hands shook, but he'd never, ever, been so happy to be home as he was right now. The last few hours of the day felt like they took an interminable amount of time to pass, but that was only because he needed to see Isabella, touch her, kiss her.

Isabella let out a squeak as she turned around to put the plates on the island when she noticed Edward standing in the doorway. She hadn't heard him come in and she instantly wondered how long he'd stood there and watched her, but that thought left as soon as she'd gotten it because right then, Edward looked very much like a predator stalking its prey. His emerald green eyes blazed intensely and his nostrils flared as he continued to wordlessly stare at her. The purple shirt he'd worn to the office today looked a bit worse for wear and he'd already shed his coat and loosened his tie. He looked dark and dangerous and so sexy he took her breath away.

"Edward?" she questioned as she stared back at him, her voice an alluring, breathy whisper.

"Hello, Beautiful," he rasped out in a low, rough voice. He continued to stare at her, his eyes hungry as they traveled over her body. He took in the slight widening of her eyes, the gorgeous blush that had appeared on her face, the way her breathing began coming in faster breaths, and Lord help him, there was no way in hell he could miss the way her nipples had hardened underneath her tight t-shirt.

He pushed off the doorway and swaggered over to where she stood, her eyes blinking rapidly the closer he came. Her body tingled with anticipation as she watched him approach, the raw sex appeal just oozing off him.

It took all he had not to run to her, throw her over his shoulder, and run up the stairs to his bedroom to have his way with her. He wanted it, he really fucking wanted it, but he also wanted to just be with her. He wanted to ask how her day was. He wanted to help her wash dishes. He wanted to curl up on the couch with her tiny body pressed tightly against his. He wanted to be buried deep inside of her and not come out for days.

He wanted to love her, without fear, without any walls between them.

He couldn't tell her that, yet, but he sure as hell could show her how much it hurt him to be away from her during the day though.

When he was close enough to touch her, Edward reached a shaking hand up and grabbed her gently on the back of the head and pulled her against him. He felt her heart pounding beneath the thin cotton shirt she wore that hugged her body to perfection and he stared into her eyes as he held her in place. He lowered his head to hers and breathed in her unique scent before he hungrily pressed his mouth against her waiting one. He plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, letting out a low growl as the taste of her coated his tongue.

Isabella melted against him and reached up to slide her hands into his riotous hair. She wantonly ground her center against him and she couldn't help the hiss she let escape when Edward's hands slid around her waist and over her ass and he squeezed.

"Fuck, Isabella," Edward panted as he pulled his mouth away from hers and immediately fastened his lips to her exposed neck. "I missed you today. I thought about you constantly, thought about this," he told her as he continued to suck on the delicate skin behind her ear. "I thought about how much I wanted you, in my bed, spread out beneath me as I licked every inch of your skin until you begged me to make love to you.

"I thought about how much I fucking loved just thinking about you, my beautiful Isabella," he said as he took another deep breath to clear some of the lust-filled fog currently clouding his brain. She deserved so much more than to be taken against a wall in the kitchen, not that he thought she would mind all that much. It was definitely something to think about for another time, but he promised her cuddling on the couch, and in all honesty, he wanted and needed that even more than making love to her again.

With that thought, he disentangled his fingers from her hair and took a step backward, giving them both some much needed space. He almost gave in to his desires when Isabella looked back at him with hooded eyes and flushed cheeks, but he knew they needed to spend time just being together and not in bed.

The fact that the annoying angel person had told him that exact thing on the ride home this evening made him shake his head, and if he thought he could get away with it in front of his very perceptive wife, he'd even curse said being, but he kept the thought to himself.

Instead, he flashed Isabella a very charming smile and took her hand in his and said, "I'm starving. We're still having pizza, right?"

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**So, how did everyone like seeing Edward at the office? How about our first peeks at Jasper, Emmett, Marcus, and Alec? Things will be picking up as far as CP is concerned and we will be seeing Vincent as well in a few chapters. Hmmm...wonder what all that is about? Things are definitely picking up and I will tell you all this, the next two chapters...HUGE in terms of information and turning points.**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Be sure you look at the polyvores that Laurel has put together. There are some pictures of Cullen Publishing as well as what Edward and Seth wore to the office this chapter! I love them, and hope you do too! Check out the Banners Bella Taylor and Bellabee666 have made and the amazing blinkie Laurel has made. They haven't been given the appreciation they deserve and they are out of this world! Thanks also to prettykittyartist for rec'ing my story! Such a nice thing to do and I'm so grateful!**

**Last bonus scene we saw some of Jasper and got a bit of information about Edward's grandfather, William, and were introduced to Edward's exes Anna and Sophie. This bonus scene will let you all have a peek at Emmett and Rose...and you'll see her reaction to the news about the upcoming dinner. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else.**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and were surrounded by loved ones and friends!**

****Oh, one more thing...I obviously don't own nor run my own publishing company, so I'm sort of guessing on some things as they pertain to the business side and running a company. If anything I've said doesn't seem possible, cut me some slack, okay?**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to a wonderful team of people: Laurel, Aleea, Jen, and Ayden…thank you so much for helping get this story off the ground and ready for public consumption. You guys are the best pre-readers and beta's anyone could ever ask for. Laurel, your help and passion for this story has meant more than you can ever possibly know! Amanda, Becky, Mary, and Jennifer, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story! I seriously have the best readers out there!**

**Now for some news...I have been chosen, and I am still in shock about the whole thing, to be in an Author Spotlight. Totally blown away, but I'm really honored as well. The interview will be posted Monday and will be on the blog:**

**www(.)sparklingwand(.)com**

**I would really love it if you checked it out!**

**Now…on with the story! Please check out the bottom A/N~ more news for you guys!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 10**

Isabella stared at her husband, torn completely in two. Part of her wanted nothing more than for them to keep going, wanted nothing more than to be ravished by her incredibly, if she wasn't mistaken, turned on husband. She knew she wasn't, judging from his deep breaths and the bulge in his pants. The other part wanted to sit, curled up on the couch with him and feel his arms around her.

Fortunately for Edward, or maybe unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, the part that wanted to spend the evening just being with him won out. Isabella took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she smiled sweetly at him. Nodding her head at his question about dinner, she answered, "Yes, we are still having pizza for dinner."

He gave her a lopsided grin, letting her know that he was as conflicted as she was before he said, "Good. Do I have time to change before dinner?"

Isabella took one last look at her husband and couldn't help but grin at him when she again noticed the color of the shirt he'd worn to the office today, and briefly wondered if he realized it was her favorite color. If he did, he was certainly earning himself a few brownie points. Based on how her body was still tingling and more than a tad bit achy, too, she had every intention of giving him a special reward later.

She didn't mean double chocolate chip cookies, either.

"Yes, I'll just put the pizzas in the oven. By the time you get done changing, they should be ready," Isabella answered him and then made a move to walk back toward the island.

Edward reached a hand out and gently gripped her wrist to pull her back to him. "I hope you haven't forgotten what I asked and you agreed to, Isabella. You will stay with me tonight, won't you?" he asked in a voice heavily laden with anxiety and need while he skimmed the tender skin of her neck with his nose.

Isabella tried to not moan out loud at the tone of his voice; it was low, deep, and raspy, but she couldn't help it, especially as her body reacted to being pressed against his the way she was. Her body completely molded against him, and she could feel his hard, muscular chest beneath her fingers. She turned her head to face her husband and then crashed her lips against his and kissed him, really kissed him. Her tongue tangled with his while her fingers slid in his hair. The relief she felt that _her_ Edward had come home, and not the one she was afraid would be in his place, coupled with her need to reconnect with him, sent her emotions into a tailspin.

Her fingers twisted in his hair and her mouth continued its relentless assault on his until they were both gasping for breath.

"Damn it, Isabella, you are making it extremely difficult to resist you," Edward groaned. He was trying very hard to keep his silent promise to himself to give her better than attacking her in the kitchen.

"Edward," Isabella said with a sigh, fighting the same urge. It was extremely difficult she was finding, to keep focused on what the evening was supposed to be about when her body was screaming to feel him, every part of him, against her.

Preferably naked.

Edward took one last long look at his delectable wife in his arms and then gently pushed her away from him. He reached down and held her fingers lightly in his hand and gave her a sexy grin. "I do have a few things I need to talk to you about, so how about we eat and spend some time on the couch and then...well, we can see what happens after that?"

He watched as she questioned him with her eyes and chuckled before pressing a quick, tender kiss to her forehead. "It's nothing bad, Isabella. There are a few developments at the firm I'd like to discuss with you."

"Edward, are you...what is...fine," she finally managed to stammer out. She had so many questions for him, but decided to trust her instincts and follow his lead.

"I'll be back down shortly, Beautiful," he told her and gave her one last look before he turned to go change.

Edward walked slowly up the stairs, trying mightily to keep from turning around and just saying fuck it and make love to his wife. It was obvious they both wanted it, but the words of the ever-annoying angel kept playing like a broken record in his lust-addled mind. Balance...must find a balance. Well, it pretty much went without saying how much that word really sucked, even if he knew it was the right thing to do. Edward huffed in aggravation.

Walking into his room, he found the angel smirking at him from his usual place in the corner. "You okay, Eddie?"

Edward grunted in the being's direction, but chose not to take the bait and instead threw his tie and jacket on his bed. Their bed, he hoped. At least it would be their bed for another night, Edward thought with a smile. Of course his body reacted when he imagined how Isabella would feel against him as they slept, or didn't sleep if he was being honest in what he wanted.

He sat down on the bed and held his head in his hands for a few moments while he tried to get some sort of control on his conflicting emotions.

"Is this normal?" he asked after taking one more calming breath. Edward turned to find the angel regarding him with a look that could only be described as a cross between incredulity and amusement.

"Yes, Edward. Everything you are feeling is perfectly normal. I know it's hard to not give in to the overwhelming desire you are feeling, but you must learn to express your love and adoration of your lovely wife in ways that aren't solely sexual in nature. Intimacy comes in many forms, you know. And, you must admit, even though you've been a spectacularly neglectful husband for most of your marriage, enjoying the time spent in your marital bed has never been one of your problems."

Edward could only snort at the truth of that statement. He may have been paralyzed at the thought of opening himself up to Isabella, but he tried, every single time they made love, to show her through his actions, how he felt about her.

"Edward, I am quite well aware of the role models, or lack thereof, when it comes to having a happy, healthy sexual relationship, or any relationship for that matter, you've been exposed to; Carlisle and Esme notwithstanding of course," Seth amended. "The opposite is true for Isabella. Her parents are passionately in love with one another, as were her Nonna and grandfather. You are both learning here, Edward Anthony, taking things one step at a time. You just need to trust yourself," he finished gently.

_Lack of role models indeed_ , Edward thought bitterly to himself. His parents had taught him nothing but selfishness, pain, and abandonment. By the time he was adopted by Carlisle and Esme, he did everything he could to not be around his adoptive parents, it was just too painful. As he got older, he spent more and more time with his grandfather and less time at home, where the love that existed was just too much for him to handle.

Edward's childhood was not a happy one, not in the least. There were bits of happiness here and there, but for the most part, it was one that was spent achingly alone and ignored. He had a father that saw him only as a means to an end. He wasn't particularly wanted by his father, the only reason he was even here was because his mother had wanted a baby. She quickly realized the attention and effort he took, and the sacrifice she was unwilling to make in regard to losing time with her husband.

Liam Connoly was a charismatic man and as soon as Maggie laid her eyes on him, she was completely under his spell. He became the center of her universe, as exemplified by the fact that she turned her back on her family and everything she knew to go with him back to Ireland when she was just seventeen-years-old. To say she suffered a culture shock when she arrived in Ireland would be an understatement, but she loved Liam too much to complain. She thought having a baby would make things better for her, give her something to do during the day when Liam was at work, so after they had gotten married, she got pregnant.

Things were better for Maggie for a time, and Liam even seemed excited by the prospect of having a child, once he found out the baby was going to be a boy that is. By the time Edward reached age five, Liam had grown weary of Maggie's attention to the boy and began demanding that she pay closer attention to his needs instead. Faced with the thought of losing the love of her life, Maggie did as he asked. Maggie obviously thought having a baby would fix things when in reality all it did was take her attention away from her husband, from the most important person in her life, so Edward became a very distant second in terms of time and attention, and motherly love and care, as well.

From that time on, Edward was little more than an afterthought to each of his parents. They were so consumed with each other that he was often left to fend for himself for most everything. Getting himself to and from school, making his own lunch, fixing his own dinner, all of his basic needs, he had to tend to himself. Edward became an expert at making simple meals of peanut butter and jelly as well as eggs and toast. He made sure he brushed his teeth before bed, he got up and got dressed without being told, he made sure he had his school books, all on his own and all things normal, loving parents should have helped him with. He realized quickly if he wanted or needed anything, it would be up to him to take care of it; his parents were too focused on each other to be bothered.

Edward had learned early on that no matter what he did or how well he did in school or how hard he tried, he didn't matter enough to his parents. They barely acknowledged his existence. Sure there were times his mother went out of her way to do something nice for him or spend time with him, but those times were very few and far between. She was just too focused on making his father happy to be much of a mother to him. By the time he was adopted by Carlisle and Esme, Edward had vowed that he would never feel unworthy again. In order to do so, he figured it was best to keep to himself and not get too close to anyone. In his mind, if he kept his distance and didn't get too close to anyone, they couldn't hurt him the way his parents had. Years of neglect and abandonment, and for the most part indifference by his parents, had so destroyed him, Edward didn't know how a normal family functioned.

Purposely changing the subject, the angel asked, "Are you going to mention Emmett's proposal to Isabella?" He tried to make it sound like an offhand remark, but he didn't think Edward would fall for it and like he figured, Edward narrowed his eyes at the abrupt change in topic. The angel was up to something, he knew, but Edward didn't know what it was.

Like Edward mentioned back at his office what seemed like ages ago, but was in all reality just a few short hours, he'd learned it was best not to question what the angel did too much. It went against his nature, certainly, but it made dealing with all this dying business much easier to deal with. So, instead of calling the heavenly being out, he chose to answer the question. "Yes, I will. I do still have a business to run."

Seth waited for his charge to change his clothes, and when he was finished, he casually remarked, "Tonight, while you and Isabella are spending some much needed quality time together on the couch, I want you to tell her about something from your childhood."

"What? Why?" Edward sputtered, trying to make sense of what Seth just told him. "No, I can't. No," Edward continued to mutter over and over again.

Seth waited patiently for Edward's panic attack to run its course and when he was confident it had, he spoke. "Yes, Edward. I must remind you that there is no time to waste when it comes to these matters. And like today with Emmett and Jasper, I can assure you it won't be as bad or as hard as you believe it will be. Edward Anthony," the angel said in a voice that thundered, but was at the same time as gentle as a soft breeze. He waited until Edward turned his turbulent green eyes toward him and once he did, he said, "I know how painful your memories are of your mother and father, but you know as well as I, that there are some good memories buried beneath the bad. Tell her one of those if it is easier for you, but you must begin talking to her, opening up to her. I can't begin to tell you how imperative it is that you do what I am asking."

Edward wanted to yell and argue and stomp his feet like a small child throwing a temper tantrum, but he knew that what the angel told him was what he needed to do. Surprisingly, once he stopped fighting the idea of sharing pieces of his past with his wife, he realized there was a part of him, a rather large part to be honest, that wanted her to know. It wouldn't be easy and the idea still filled him with dread, but he was becoming rather tired focusing so much time and energy on keeping Isabella at an arm's length.

He realized, with an abrupt start, that he wanted her to know him, the real him, all of him. Faults and all, and as had been brought to his attention on more than a few occasions, he was well aware that the list was extensive. He was under no illusions, though, because he knew it wouldn't be easy. Opening yourself up, trusting in someone to still love you after leaving yourself vulnerable was not anything he had experience in doing. For twenty years he'd kept himself hidden behind walls so thick it was a testament to how determined his wife had been that she was able to even see a glimpse of who he really was.

Seth watched and waited, silently very pleased because he could tell Edward seemed to be coming to some sort of realization. Having witnessed everything Edward had gone through with his birth parents, he knew full well how hard what he was asking Edward to do really was. It might seem foolish to be so frightened to open up to one's partner, but after the trauma Edward had suffered and lived through, it was understandable. To him at least, and he knew Isabella would understand as well.

Edward rubbed his hands nervously against his thighs and then faced the angel once more. "Okay," he said simply.

"Okay, you'll talk to her?" Seth asked, needing to make sure Edward would follow his instructions. It really was important that he begin to move forward. There was still so very much to do.

"Yes, I will. I have no idea what I'll tell her, but I will do as you ask," Edward answered before moving to the door. "Sometime soon, we need to have a talk about all this need to know business, you know. I have a lot of questions," he warned the bossy being in a stern voice.

Things were still so...surreal. In only twenty-four hours everything he knew and understood was turned around and nothing was the same. His relationships with his wife and his family, the way he conducted his business, the way he interacted with his friends and colleagues, all of it was different now.

It was a hell of a lot for one man to take in.

Said bossy being, though he would never refer to himself in such a way, gave his charge an inscrutable grin and let his ice blue eyes twinkle. He was actually very happy to see some fire in Edward, some resistance. It meant that he was beginning to think of others instead of just himself. It meant that he was making a few inroads. It meant that Edward was trying.

"Fair enough, my young friend. I expected you would anyway. However, I'm sure you'd rather be downstairs engaged in much more enjoyable activities with your much more enjoyable wife, so let's save that discussion for later." Seth smirked.

"Hmph, well you are right about the more enjoyable part, that is for damn sure, but I mean it. There are things I need to know," Edward reinforced again.

The seraph figured he'd pushed Edward as far as he could for the time being and glided over to where he stood. "Yes, Edward, I suppose it is time to fill you in a few more things."

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and had to work exceptionally hard to keep from losing his temper. It was one thing after the other it seemed, but he knew he'd made quite the mess out of his life. It was only fair he had to work so hard to get it in order.

He could only hope that he was successful before his time was up.

"Try not to worry, Eddie, my boy, especially because the lovely Isabella is waiting rather impatiently for you downstairs. She's a feisty thing, isn't she?" the angel cheekily said and laughed boisterously at the flash in Edward's eyes. "Oh, knock it off, Edward; your wife is an amazing woman. Not my fault it has taken you much too long to acknowledge it."

"Damn pain in the ass, aggravating, know-it-all angel," Edward muttered once Seth disappeared to wherever he went.

Isabella heard Edward as he came down the stairs and took a few seconds to breathe in and out before he walked into the kitchen. Her eyes drank him in as he entered the room, especially because he had on a pair of low-slung sleep pants and a tight, black t-shirt. _Holy hell the man was so freaking gorgeous_ , she thought to herself. If she could have gotten away with it, she would have fanned herself because all of a sudden she felt like she was having a hot flash.

Damn sexy man, she chuckled softly as she moved toward the pizza.

"It smells incredible in here, love. I'm starving," Edward said as he approached the island and couldn't help but smile when he noticed his favorite beer next to a frosted glass. The pizza really did smell delicious; garlicky, just the way he liked it, mixed with the unmistakable aroma of tomatoes and pepperoni.

Isabella sliced the pizza and set two pieces on his plate, and one on hers before she looked at him and asked, "Didn't you eat lunch today?"

Edward shook his head and inhaled deeply, his stomach rumbling and his mouth watering at the food Isabella had fixed to perfection. "No, I didn't. I had meetings all day and worked straight through lunch."

She picked up her plate and glass of wine and they both walked toward the living room. Once they were seated on the couch, Isabella looked at Edward and said, "Sweetheart, you really shouldn't go all day without eating. It isn't good for you."

The fact that she worried about him that way warmed Edward and his stomach did that flip-floppy thing he'd come to recognize whenever he thought about his wife. Today, his stomach did a lot of that flip-floppy stuff since it seemed like there was little he did besides think about her.

They ate their dinner and made small talk, much like almost every other married couple. They both recognized that it was something they didn't practice on a regular basis, but it seemed as if the two of them had come to the same conclusion. In order to move forward, it was necessary not to dwell too much on the past. It didn't mean that all was forgotten or forgiven, Edward was sure of that, but it did make going forward a bit easier to know that he wouldn't constantly be reminded of how much he had failed as a husband. Isabella talked about her lunch with her mother and Edward had to smile at how her face lit up when she talked about her parents and her Nonna.

"Mama asked me to check with you to see when we could go have dinner with her and Dad. She would like to have us over to the house sometime in the next week or two for my birthday," she told him with a huff and a roll of her eyes.

Edward choked a bit on his food at the mention of one, spending time with her family, and two, her birthday.

Hell, first dinner with Emmett, Rose, and the kids and then dinner with the Swan family; he sure had jumped head first into the fire, hadn't he?

He coughed a few times to clear his throat because it suddenly felt like his tongue was three sizes too big for his mouth and then took a drink of his beer before he looked at her. During the day today as he was going over things on his calendar to schedule meetings, he did realize that her birthday was coming up soon. After he had wallowed and berated himself for not treating her birthday the way it should have been in the past, he'd decided on how he wanted to celebrate this year. He wasn't sure how his idea would be received, but once the idea had come to him, he was rather excited and a bit impressed with himself, too.

It seemed once he allowed the love to flow it was easier to think of things, both grand and small, that he could do to show Isabella just how much he loved her, trusted her, cherished her, wanted to move forward and make up for the years of slighting her.

The birthday part he could handle, he wasn't so sure about dinner with his in-laws. Charlie Swan was an intimidating man, no question about it. Being Chief of Police meant that he had to be, but Edward was honest enough with himself to understand that the reason he felt so unsure when he was around Isabella's father was because he knew he didn't treat Charlie's daughter the way she deserved to be. Edward didn't intentionally set out to hurt his wife, but he had, and he was confident Charlie Swan understood that as well.

If the situations had been reversed, Edward could at least admit he'd want to kick his ass, too, repeatedly.

Through the years Edward had always tried to do and say the correct thing when it came to Isabella's family. He didn't see them often, which was no different than the frequency he spent with his own family. It was just too hard, too painful, and too reminiscent of how unlike them his birth parents had been. Like with everything else since he and Isabella had gotten married, it was easier to hide than to face his past

Well, he might as well inflame the fire even more he thought to himself and said, "Whenever you would like to have dinner with them is fine with me. It would be nice to see them again; it's been a while since the last time I saw them all."

Isabella gasped quickly at the immediate agreement to spend time with her family, but instead of asking a question she was sure he would answer vaguely, she just smiled and said, "Good. I'll talk with Mama and decide on a day."

The man was surely going to drive her mad as she continued to try to figure out what brought about the sudden change in her husband. There was an aura around him since he'd returned from New York, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She welcomed the change, no doubt about it, and she wasn't questioning his sincerity either. Isabella had always, from the very first time they met, known...believed...felt, however you could describe it, that there was much more to Edward Cullen than he showed the world. She just didn't know why now and she couldn't decide if it really mattered or not.

If he was finally going to let her in and share himself with her, did it really matter what caused him to change? Wasn't the fact that he was changing and trying the important thing? She didn't have an answer to either of those questions just yet.

They finished up their dinner and as they set their plates on the coffee table, Edward took a deep breath to steel himself so that he could tell Isabella what had been discussed at the meeting today. In the back of his mind he knew this was not something he normally did, but the fact was, she was married to the CEO of the company, not just an employee. There were things she needed and deserved to know.

Edward arranged himself so that his arm draped along the back of the sofa and he twirled a piece of her soft hair around his fingers. It was done without a conscious thought, but when he realized what he was doing, he made no move to stop; he rather enjoyed the intimate action. Isabella's sigh as she settled back against the cushions to let him know she enjoyed it as well.

Neither made a move to turn on the movie they had discussed watching, instead it seemed as if each was content to just enjoy being together. It was a strange feeling, Edward thought as he curled even more of her hair around his fingers, to find pleasure in something so simple.

He had so much to learn, he realized, not that he thought he would mind learning as long as his wife was the one teaching him.

"Is it okay if we talk about CP for a few minutes?" Edward asked. He wanted to talk to her but he was finding it difficult to interrupt their quiet time. However, the words of the unseen, but never far away angel, clouded his mind. He didn't have time to waste.

Isabella was apprehensive about what he was about to say to her, mostly because business discussions were not something they normally had with one another. She did her job as one of the head editors, Edward did his running of the company, and very rarely was there a need to speak to each other beyond surface matters. Was it the right way to do things? Who knew, but Isabella didn't marry Edward because she wanted to run, or help run a large company. He was good at his job, great even, and with Jasper and Emmett by his side, along with Marcus and Alec, he had more than enough people to help if he needed it.

Edward wasn't sure where to begin and figured the reason he was in New York was as good a place to begin as any. "CP has been put into a pretty vulnerable position and one of the major deals I had been working on fell through this weekend. We have one more that I'm fairly certain we'll be able to complete, but if something happens with it, and it falls through like the one in New York did, the company could be in real trouble," he said and watched to make sure she understood before going on.

"We had a meeting this morning and a few ideas were discussed," he said and couldn't help but smile as he remembered his brother shocking the hell out of him earlier. He probably shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. For some reason before he told Isabella Emmett's idea, he wanted to hold her hand. He turned so he faced her more and reached over and took her hand. Her hand looked so tiny in his, he thought briefly and stared at their fingers where they were laced together. The thought that he hadn't done anywhere near enough of this came unbidden to his mind, but he shook that thought away.

Forward, he was going forward.

He squeezed her hand and quickly explained Emmett's idea, going into detail about what they hoped to accomplish. He finished by saying, "Isabella, everyone, including myself, thinks you would be perfect for the job. Jasper was excited, Marcus and Alec think this is a great idea and well, Emmett was quite exuberant in his belief that you would do an amazing job."

Isabella was stunned, bewildered, and speechless. Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever expected something like this. It wasn't that she didn't think she could do it, because she knew she was a damn good editor, probably one of the best in the country. But to know that others thought the same of her, especially Edward, well, it was a lot to take in.

"Love?" Edward asked softly as he watched her eyes dart around the room. He squeezed her hand again and waited for her to look at him.

"You really think I can do this?" she asked him and he couldn't help but smile and lean forward so he could kiss her cheek.

"I do," he answered immediately. "I may have acted like an ass most of the time, but I have always been aware of how talented and smart you are, Isabella. Please don't doubt that or doubt your abilities."

"Wow," she breathed out and had to fight the urge to let out a nervous giggle to relieve some tension. "I have so many questions," she said and turned to look at her husband.

He leaned forward and with the hand that wasn't holding hers, brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you do. Just think about it for a few days and when Emmett comes for dinner on Thursday you can talk about it more with him. You're going to make him very happy if you decide to do this, love. You should have seen the grin on his face when he talked about it. It's obvious he loves you very much," Edward told her and had to bite his tongue to keep from telling her his brother wasn't the only one.

Isabella smiled when she thought about her much adored brother-in-law. "The feeling is mutual," she said and it did not go unnoticed that her cheeks were flushed and her eyes danced with excitement. Edward was, quite unexpectedly, extremely excited about this new endeavor, if only to watch his wife spread her wings a bit.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Isabella moved to get up so that she could carry their dishes to the sink and get Edward's cookies, but was stopped. She glanced down and chuckled softly because Edward had her hand in a death grip and from the looks of it, he wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

"Sweetheart?" she questioned gently.

Edward huffed, suddenly too overcome to speak. He didn't even know what was wrong or what he had wanted to tell her, but when she got up to move, he didn't want to let her go. "I just wanted...I don't...this was nice," he finally managed to say.

Jesus, he felt like a tongue-tied adolescent on a first date!

Isabella smiled warmly at him, thinking exactly the same thing and bent down and laid her soft hand on his face. "It was. Two nights in a row. I think we're going to start a habit if we're not careful," she teased and then pressed her soft lips to his for a kiss.

He had other ideas though. Soft kisses were all fine and dandy and he enjoyed them as much as the next guy, but right now, soft was definitely not on the agenda. Edward lifted his hands and gripped her tiny hips and then pulled her forward. She had no choice but to straddle his lap and when she did, Edward's arms wrapped around her instantly, trapping her body against his.

"I want to spend every night with you," Edward told her. "I've missed so much, wasted so much time," he ground out against her lips as his mind fought his body for control. He wanted to love her. He wanted to consume her. He wanted to be worthy of her. So many conflicting emotions raced through his mind he was sure he'd go mad before too long.

Isabella leaned back and reached her hands up to hold his face so that she could look at him. So many references to time, it was if he was racing against some unseen clock, something only he understood. Something had happened, she was positive, to bring about such a drastic and profound change. She was just unsure of what it was.

"Edward," she said as she stared into his tormented green eyes. "You would tell me if something was wrong with you, wouldn't you?" She didn't want to ask the question, mostly because she didn't want to believe that something could be wrong with him.

His heart stopped and then fell to his stomach at her question. He didn't want to lie to her, especially because he swore to himself and to her that he would be honest from now on. He decided the best course of action was a distraction, so he tried that. "Beautiful, there is nothing wrong with me, well nothing that a good ass kicking wouldn't fix. I can't really explain it except to say that I finally saw the light, so to speak," he said with a sexy smirk and then ran his fingers down the side of her cheek. "I'm tired of hiding from you. I'm tired of keeping you at a distance when all I want to do is keep you close to me."

She stared at him, gauging his words against what she felt and honestly, she couldn't sense anything except sincerity, so with that, she bent forward and kissed his nose. Heavy conversations could wait, it was time for dessert.

"Come," she said with a grin when she climbed off his lap and took his hand in hers and led him to the kitchen. She sat him on a stool at the island and with a mischievous gleam in her eye, reached up into the cabinet where she had stored his special treat. She slid them on a plate and then poured him a glass of cold milk and set both in front of him.

Edward sucked in a deep breath when he noticed what kind of cookies they were. It was more than the fact that Isabella had known how much he liked them. "My mother used to make these for me as a treat sometimes. They'd be ready and waiting for me when I got home from school. They'd still be warm and she always had a glass of cold milk for me to have with them. She'd always tell me I was doubly sweet, that's why she'd make double chocolate chip," he whispered as the memory flooded his mind.

Isabella's hands shook as she held onto her own plate after she'd heard what he'd said. _He said something about his mother_ , she thought to herself. Holy shit! Swallowing past the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, she sat down next to him and simply said, "Well, I doubt mine are as good as hers were, but I hope you like them. My mom isn't the best baker in the world, but Nonna used to make these amazing pecan shortbread cookies when I was little. We would have to hide some because my dad would eat them all if we let him." She giggled affectionately. "But, I know how much you like your chocolate."

"Thank you," he answered her, and for much more than double chocolate chip cookies. He reached over and held her hand, and held on while they finished their dessert.

During the few minutes it took for them to eat their dessert, Edward's mind was going a mile a minute. Sure not all of the memories he suddenly allowed to come to the surface were good ones, in fact most were not, but he couldn't help but smile as he recalled eating cookies with his mother. It was one of the few things she'd stuck to, no matter what else was going on and Lord knew there was plenty.

Once they were done, he was overcome with the need to hold his wife, to feel her next to him, to feel her arms around him. The song that was playing on the stereo was soft and soothing so without any hesitation he stood up and pulled her with him.

"Dance with me," he commanded softly.

"But the dishes," she answered, even though her voice sounded unsure.

"Leave them. Dance with me, Isabella," he said again and wrapped her in his arms and began to move to the music. Their bodies were pressed close to the other as they swayed back and forth. "This has been an incredible night," he whispered as he bent his head down and began to kiss up and down the side of her neck. "Thank you for loving me, for having faith in me, for giving me another chance to be a man worthy of you, even when I don't deserve it," he told her as he pulled her even closer to him. His arms squeezed and his hands were splayed on her back so that every part of her was against him.

"Thank you for trying," Isabella answered him, trying to keep the tears that were threatening from leaking out.

They continued to dance. They continued to feel. They continued to connect.

As the song came to a close, Isabella looked up into the black-green eyes of her husband, her Edward, and said, "Take me upstairs, Edward. Make me yours."

He instantly lifted her in his arms and walked up to the bedroom. "You've always been mine, Isabella."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

The next few days flew by precipitated each night by an invitation to stay with Edward in his room. Isabella hoped that before long the move would be permanent. Now that she had slept beside him every night for the past four nights, she wasn't sure she could ever sleep alone again. When he asked, his voice was timid and unsure as if he expected her to say no. Although, she had to admit there was a small part of her that enjoyed the fact that he asked, that he didn't just merely assume she would say yes. It was a sad statement about the state of her marriage, true, but in her way of thinking, it also showed Edward's willingness to make an effort and that he was trying to change.

Each day was filled with flirty texts and phone calls, flowers delivered to her at the office, and yesterday they even went to lunch together, leaving the office at the same time and in the same car. Normal, everyday occurrences for most people, but jaw-dropping, eye-popping ones when it came to Edward and Isabella Cullen judging from the reactions of people in the office. Poor Alec, Isabella giggled to herself as she thought about him, the man looked like he had swallowed a bug when he saw them step off the elevator, holding hands no less. She supposed the fact that Edward had been laughing at the time might have had something to do with it. Lord knew the man certainly didn't do that often enough.

The time they had spent together over the past few days, in and out of bed, had been nothing short of incredible. Edward had continued to keep mentioning tiny bits of information about his mother. Not a lot and nothing past what her favorite color had been or that she enjoyed doing crossword puzzles and had had an unhealthy obsession with the Beatles, but it was more than he'd ever done in the past. There were still no mentions of his father and nothing about what had happened to them or to him before he was adopted, but it was still a step. Baby step though it was, it was an improvement.

Her phone rang as she walked into the house. She set her bags down and grabbed her phone, a goofy, dreamy smile on her face. "Hi, sweetheart," she said sweetly as she answered.

On the other end of the phone, Edward had the same smile on his face and he pointedly ignored the loud chuckle of the ever-present angel who was hovering close by.

"Hi, Beautiful. Did you get everything you needed for dinner tonight?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

He had really been looking forward to the dinner this evening, but he was nervous as hell about it, too. He and Isabella had been in their own bubble for the past few days, the lunch out together yesterday notwithstanding. It was different having people, even though they were family, observe him in his own environment. Emmett had made enough comments at the office about the changes he'd noticed; he had no doubt his incredibly shrewd sister-in-law would notice as well.

Rosalie Hale Cullen let nothing get past her, especially where her family was concerned. Edward might have been an absent member of the family, but he knew enough to know that was nothing but the truth. His sister-in-law was as fierce and protective as a mama bear protecting her cubs, and if she felt Edward was being less than honest with Emmett or any of the others, she would let him have it.

Edward unconsciously shivered when he thought about what that experience would be like.

"I did. Rose called earlier to say that Jack and Emma weren't coming. Emma was being fussy and Jack isn't feeling good so they got a babysitter for the evening," she told him and he could hear the disappointment in her voice. Edward had to admit he had been looking forward to seeing his niece and nephew as well.

"Well, we'll just have to have them over for dinner again when they are both in better spirits," he told her.

They chatted for a few minutes and then ended the call so that Edward could finish up and get home. It was becoming easier and easier to leave the office at the end of the day, of course knowing his beautiful wife was waiting at home for him was more than enough incentive.

"This is a big night for you, Edward Anthony," Seth informed him once Edward had hung up the phone.

Edward had already come to that conclusion himself, but hearing it from the angel just solidified that fact. "I know. I'm not sure what to expect," he answered truthfully.

"Well, Emmett loves you, that much is obvious. He's been hoping for you to reach out and now that you have, well I would expect things to go rather smoothly with him. Now, Rosalie, she is another matter altogether," the being said with a wicked smile.

Edward groaned and thought again about his sister-in-law. "I suppose I'll just have to make her see I am sorry for the way I've acted and hope she forgives me," he answered.

Seth had given Edward some much needed space and time over the past few days. Time to reconnect with Isabella, time to come to terms with what it was he had to do, time to think about how to move forward. He watched of course, he was always watching, and he had to admit he was extremely proud of the steps Edward had already taken. The hard ones were coming, but hopefully now that he felt more confident and comfortable opening up to Isabella, he would find the strength he needed from her to take the next steps.

"You are correct. All you have control over, Edward, is you. Whether the people you have hurt choose to forgive you is solely up to them. What matters is you coming to terms with your past actions and your efforts to change," the angel affirmed.

"I'm sure you'll be close by to keep tabs on me," Edward said with a grunt as he pulled a pile of files to him so he could get to work.

"I'm always watching," the cheeky being responded and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered before focusing on the work in front of him.

A few hours later Peter dropped him off at home and he entered the house, the aroma of lasagna filling his nose. Emmett's favorite, and Edward smiled at the fact she remembered that. It no longer surprised him that she remembered such things, he'd come to the conclusion that nothing escaped his observant and intuitive wife.

"Hi, love," he said as he walked into the kitchen. He looked to his left and noticed that the dining room table had already been elegantly set, complete with candles and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice.

"Hi, sweetheart," she greeted him warmly with a smile. Wiping her hands on the towel she walked to him and stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick but loving kiss. He responded immediately and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss but she snickered and pushed him away, not that she really wanted to, but kissing would have to wait.

"Go change, Edward. Rose and Em will be here any minute," she told him and rolled her eyes when he looked like he was going to pout.

"Fine, I'm going, but we will pick that up later," he promised with a sexy grin before he went to do as his wife asked.

By the time he changed and returned back downstairs Emmett and Rosalie had arrived. As he walked into the kitchen and observed the three interact and smile at one another, he realized, once again, how very much he had missed.

Living life hiding to keep from hurting accomplished nothing, he'd come to understand, well, nothing except for hurting those you loved and who loved you in return.

"Hey, Ed!" Emmett said loudly once he saw him. "Thanks for having us over."

Edward approached, still feeling slightly nervous but when he looked at Isabella and she smiled at him, it all melted away. He knew she would be by his side, and knowing that meant he could do anything.

"Well, we're happy you're here. It's been much too long. Hello, Rose," Edward said once he looked at his sister-in-law. She regarded him silently for the moment, studying him and once it appeared she'd come to some sort of conclusion, stepped forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Hi, Edward," she said in greeting.

"Everything is ready, so why don't we sit and we can visit while we eat," Isabella stated once the hellos were out of the way.

Edward helped her carry the dishes to the table and the four sat down to eat the mouthwateringly delicious meal his wife had fixed. Once everyone had been served, they began talking, and Edward couldn't stop laughing at the stories Emmett and Rose told him about Jack and Emma. He found himself devouring each story, each funny thing they told them and he didn't miss the pride and contentment that his brother exuded. Emmett was a very happy and very lucky man. It would have been easy to be jealous of both things, but instead, Edward was filled with happiness for his brother.

Every time he would glance at Isabella he found her smiling sweetly at him and he could feel his walls crumbling each time.

"Baby steps, Edward," she leaned over and told him during a break in the conversation. "I'm so proud of you."

She knew that tonight was just another turning point for them and she was so grateful that Emmett and Rose had accepted the invitation to dinner. She was well aware of Rose's inclination to keep her distance until she was sure of Edward's intentions and she could understand that. She also knew, judging from the huge, dimpled smile of Emmett, that he was just happy to be here, no matter what the reason.

Emmett brought up the subject of the new proposal and answered her many questions. By the time he was finished and she understood what would be expected of her, she was brimming with excitement. She had so many ideas, she wasn't sure where to start.

"We are gonna kick ole Vincent Sinclair's ass, no doubt about it!" Emmett exclaimed with a loud clap. "Poor bastard won't know which way is up when Isabella and I get done with him. Isn't that right, sis?"

She rolled her eyes, but then giggled at his enthusiasm. It was hard to resist him. "Whatever you say, Emmett. I just hope I can do it," she said hesitantly.

"Pshh, you can do it. Don't you think, Ed?" Emmett asked.

Edward reached his arm around her and leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Isabella can do anything, and this isn't any different. I have all the faith in the world in her," he said softly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Rose had been paying very close attention to her enigmatic brother-in-law all evening. There was definitely something different about him, no question about it. She knew how much Emmett missed his brother, how much he wished they were closer, which was the only reason she'd agreed to this dinner in the first place. Well, not the only reason. If Edward had truly changed, if he was truly going to make an effort to be a better husband and brother, she would be the first one to acknowledge it. He had talked a good game all night, but it would take a lot more than one dinner for her to believe him.

"So, Edward, why don't you tell us what the hell is really going on with you?" she challenged as she picked up her glass of wine and stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Well, what do you think? I gave you guys some things to think about, huh? A little bit of information on his parents, a mention of his mother and then the beginning of the dinner with Em and Rose. Our boy sure has been dealing with a lot, huh? Things are definitely picking up and I will tell you all this, the next two chapters...HUGE in terms of information and turning points.**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Don't forget to take a look around the blog, I love it more every time I look at it. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. My amazingly talented friend and...well everything...Laurel has started a discussion board for me. It's so cool and there is a plethora of things we can do with it. So, if you have any questions for me, if you guys want to discuss among yourselves aspects of the story, or if you have come across a story you want everyone to know about (we've already added some of our favorites and started a thread for a new story we just discovered called The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia by Sparkling Wand~Unlike anything I've ever seen before! So good! Read it and tell her I sent you!), you can do it all on the board. Please take a moment and check it out:**

**www(.)les16(.)proboards(.)com**

**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll finally see Charlie, Renee, and Nonna. I'm so excited to give you all your first peek at them, it's been a long time coming, I know! So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous from the holidays so if you want to see the extra scenes from 6,7,8, or 9...send me a PM with your email or just send me an email and I'll send them to you. They're too big for a PM, so I need email addresses!**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Happy New Year!**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story! I seriously have the best readers out there! Welcome to all the new readers I've gotten over the past few weeks!**

**Two HUGE thank you's this week. First to MedusaInNY for rec'ing TGG to the PicFic website! Next, to whomever nominated me for The Twinklings Walk of Fame Awards for Rising Starlet! Voting starts soon.**

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**Now…on with the story!**

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**Chapter 11**

Edward shifted uncomfortably in his chair while he looked at Rose. She was staring at him intently, not giving any indication whatsoever that she was going to back down from her question.

He felt Isabella squeeze his hand. He'd yet to let go of it since they'd sat down to eat. He hung onto it, as if she was his lifeline, which in a way, she was. He looked at her, and as he knew she would, she looked at him with nothing but love and support in her eyes. He knew she believed him when he said he was going to try to change even though he was sure she knew there were things he hadn't told her since that damnable flight. He also knew she loved him and had faith in him.

It was all that really mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Over the course of the last few days Edward had spent a good deal of time, mostly when Isabella was sleeping peacefully in his arms or when the angel was blessedly leaving him be, thinking about recent events and past few years, before the life-changing event. He had been a miserable son of a bitch, no question about it. He was lonely, angry, and confused and he didn't know how to change any of those things. Well, he knew of course, he wasn't a complete idiot, but knowing and having the strength and the courage to take the necessary steps were two completely different things.

There were few things Edward was certain of in his life, outside of the business that is. In that regard, Edward was confident and sure of the decisions he made. It really would have helped if he'd been able to use some of that confidence in his personal life, that was for damn sure, but alas, that was not the way Edward rolled so to speak.

The things he was certain of were first and foremost, the love he had for his wife. He'd been completely captivated, completely consumed, completely gone, the moment she had walked into his office all those years ago. She was more than beautiful, though she'd surely been and was even more so now, but it was more than that, so much more. It was as if her heart and soul called to him, had searched and waited only for him. He felt it the instant their eyes met across his desk and the feeling hadn't subsided in the least in all the years they'd been together. There was a pull, a connection that tied him to Isabella, he was sure of it. No matter how many times he ran away from her, no matter how many times he treated her abominably, no matter how many times he told himself he was only imagining things, it was always there, pulling him back to her. It could be stretched and twisted and bent, but it couldn't be broken.

He could admit that now.

Did it make leaving her when he died easier to deal with? Hell no it didn't, but he'd come to the realization over the past few days that while it was wholly unfair that his time with her would be cut short, he could do everything within his power to make her happy so that once he was gone, she would be left with good memories, ones that she would remember with a smile, instead of struggling with the recriminations that would surely have plagued her if things had stayed as they had been. He didn't want to die, but he wanted to leave her happy and confident in his love for her even more.

The other thing he was certain of was that he wished to repair the damage he'd done to his family. He wasn't confident things could be repaired with Carlisle, but he was more certain that Emmett and Esme, Jasper, too, because he was as close to him as family, would forgive him if he asked for it. All he needed to do was find the courage to take the first step. The attempt he made with Emmett and Jasper the other day at the office barely counted, at least as far as he was concerned. With how closed off and distant he'd been to them both, it was little more than a ripple in the ocean.

It wasn't as if he'd spent the last twenty odd years completely ignoring his family, because he didn't. They occasionally ate dinner together. They went to church on Sundays. There were functions they were expected to attend as a family and he went with them. As he got older and graduated from high school and went to college, his time with them became less frequent, but he still spoke with Carlisle and Esme, hung out with Emmett some on the weekends.

He didn't have impromptu wrestling matches with Emmett when they were teenagers as boys that age are apt to do. They didn't hang out, talking about girls or sports. Edward went his way, Emmett went his. He didn't have many friends, didn't socialize hardly at all. He kept to himself, again too afraid to open himself up to others because it was just too hard.

He was just…there.

He felt, rather than saw, his spiritual guide behind him. When Seth laid his hands on Edward's shoulders in a show of support and strength, Edward took a deep breath, ready to admit things he'd not even told Isabella yet.

"It's time, Edward," Seth said. "Tell them what you wish, but know that the people in this room love you and won't disregard that love. They aren't your birth parents, Edward Anthony. Trust them; trust yourself," Seth urged.

Edward again shifted in his seat and tried to find the words that he needed to say. He looked from Rose to Emmett and then to the precious gift next to him. Smiling softly at her, he picked up her hand and brushed a soft kiss across the skin, savoring for the moment the warmth and the calm she exuded.

Rose watched Edward while he was focused on Isabella and if she hadn't seen what she just saw with her own eyes she never would have believed it; not in a million years would she have ever thought she'd see Edward act as he just had. She could tell from the moment he greeted them that he was different...lighter, less guarded...almost free. She had spoken with Alice Whitlock almost nonstop since Monday when Jasper had rushed home to fill her in on what had happened at the office with him and Edward.

None of them could figure out what was going on or what had caused such a drastic change, but you'd have to be blind not to tell that something was definitely different. Jasper and Emmett were both content to let Edward come to terms with whatever was going on with him, but Rosalie Cullen was not known for her patience, or her ability to put up with bullshit.

If Edward was playing some game, he'd best know and understand right fucking up front that she wouldn't standby and just watch him hurt her husband, or her friend and sister-in-law anymore than he already had. He was saying and doing all the right things, but until she was sure of his intentions, she was reserving judgment.

"Rose, I'm..." Edward haltingly said.

"Babe," Emmett began quickly when he saw how uncomfortable his brother was but was waved off by her. He huffed and sat back, resigned to let things play out for the time being. He was as curious as Rose was, hell they'd talked about little else since Monday, but he also didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the changes he'd seen thus far.

Emmett was shocked when Edward looked at him and said, "Em, it's okay. I owe all of you a lot more than a cursory 'I'm sorry' and some vague explanation of a scary plane ride." Edward then turned to look at Isabella and said, "I owe one of you more than I'll ever be able to explain, but I hope that with time, you'll believe me when I say I'm sorry."

"Edward," Isabella breathed out and her eyes immediately stung with tears as she heard the true sincerity in his voice.

He smiled at her tenderly and leaned forward to kiss her forehead and whispered, "Later, Beautiful," before he turned back to Rose.

"I know my past actions haven't given you any reason to believe me, Rose," Edward began, "but I am trying to make some changes... changes that are way past time to make. As cliché as it might sound, I had an eye-opening experience on my flight home from New York the other day and most of what I saw, I didn't like very much."

"Eye-opening experience? You mean like your life flashed before your eyes kind of thing?" Rose mockingly asked with a smirk, but when she realized Edward was serious, her smile faded immediately.

"Yes, exactly like that. It was a...uh...rather rough and bumpy ride and at times pretty damn scary. It's not...pleasant to look at your life and not like much of what you see. There are a lot of things I've done I'm not proud of, Rose, most of all, hurting the people in this room, and I am hoping that you all will give me a second chance." Edward straightened up in his chair and looked intently at her. "Rose, I know I've fucked things up with Emmett and you. I know that my actions haven't exactly let you know that I care about both of you…a lot. If I could go back and fix things, I would, but I can't. All I can do is ask you for another chance. I probably don't deserve it, but I'm asking anyway," Edward said quietly.

"You really mean that?" Rose asked. She was quite taken aback by Edward's candor and sincerity. In fact, in all the time she and Emmett had been married she couldn't ever recall Edward acting in such a way. _It must have been a hell of a flight_ , she thought.

Edward shifted again in his chair, uncomfortable with having to admit to so many failings. He turned to look at Seth, who had been abnormally quiet thus far during the exchange with Rose.

"It would serve my ass right if she told me to go take a flying leap," he said with a huff and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It would, but she won't. Your family has always loved you, Edward. Even when you gave them every reason not to, they did," Seth told him. "You might have worked exceptionally hard at keeping your distance, but each and every one of them have been waiting for you to give any sort of indication that you wanted to be a part of the family, and not from the sidelines."

Edward snorted at that, thinking there was definitely someone who probably wished he'd stay as far away as possible. "Even Carlisle, Edward. You know if you ever gave him a chance, you might find things are not exactly as you think," the all-knowing angel stated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edward questioned harshly. "The man has done everything in his power to show me just how much he wished I'd never come here. I don't know why he ever brought me to live with them if he didn't want me."

"Edward Anthony," the angel huffed with an exasperated breath. "I swear you are without a doubt the most stubborn, obstinate human I've ever come across. Look, there are things you need to be made aware of as far as your adoptive parents are concerned, but you need to finish your discussion with Rose and Emmett and then you owe your wife an explanation as well. Things are changing for you, my boy, and you are in for some rough seas ahead. I hope you're prepared for that."

Edward sighed, feeling that familiar falling apart sensation that he'd come to recognize over the past few days whenever thoughts of his pending demise came to the forefront of his mind. "I'm not ready, but I'm ready to move past it all and enjoy whatever time I have left."

"We'll be talking again soon, Edward, you can count on that," Seth assured him and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered and then turned to the others at the table. He looked at Rose and answered her question. "Yes, Rose, I do mean it. Look, I don't blame you for questioning me or for not believing me. I can only tell you that I am going to try to change and I am going to try to make up for the hurt I've caused you, and you, Emmett," he said as he looked at his brother. "I hope it's not too late to start over?"

"Ed, we're brothers and I love you. I'd love to spend more time with you if you're willing. What's happened before, ah, water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned," Emmett said and had to wipe his eyes to stop the few tears that threatened to fall. Emmett was in shock at the words his brother had spoken. If Edward wanted a second chance, Emmett was willing to give him one, no questions asked. It was all he'd ever wanted, to have a real relationship with his brother, and he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Rose watched the scene in front of her with a sense of cautious optimism. It seemed as if that was a common theme amongst Edward's family and friends, but it was the most accurate description. There wasn't any of them, so far at least, that wasn't willing to give him a second chance; a fact of which Edward had a hard time believing. Oh, he was extremely grateful, but he knew he was being afforded an opportunity he most likely didn't deserve.

Rose picked up her glass of wine and took a drink, and chuckled out loud when she had a thought. "Scroogeward," she said, when everyone turned to look at her.

"Come again?" Edward said with a smirk.

She returned his smirk and leaned forward in her chair. "Well, you're kind of like Scrooge. He was this mean, nasty S.O.B. until those ghosts paid him a visit. Then he changed, once he saw what he'd been missing, into a loveable nice guy. So, you're Scroogeward," she finished with a flourish.

"Rose," Isabella said with a shake of her head, and turned to watch her husband. Not that it wasn't an apt description, mind you.

"Babe," Emmett said with a wry grin. Leave it to his wife to tell it like it was. She was never one to hold anything back, that was for damn sure.

"What?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "You haven't been visited by ghosts or anything have you, Edward?"

"Ghosts? No, not hardly, Rose," Edward said and internally laughed when he imagined what the unseen, but ever-present angel thought about being compared to a measly ghost.

Rose watched Edward and when she saw the corners of his mouth lift in a smile, she knew that he'd changed. The Edward Cullen she was used to never would have laughed at a joke told at his expense. Not in a million years.

"Scroogeward, huh, Rose? Good one," he told her with a genuine smile while he tipped his glass in thanks to her.

After that, the mood seemed to lighten considerably and the four spent an enjoyable evening laughing and talking. Isabella spent the time in a sort of surreal, alternate universe. She was in her house, with her in-laws, having dinner like it was an everyday occurrence. Even more surreal than that, her husband was honestly enjoying himself. His eyes were bright, his shoulders were relaxed and most telling of all, he smiled. Like an honest to God real smile. One that lit up the room and melted her heart. The kind of smile that she hadn't ever seen before and the kind that she vowed she would see more of.

Edward found himself on the brink of drowning from all the overwhelming emotions he was feeling, but one look at Isabella was all it took to keep him afloat. He was in awe of how it felt to let go, to open himself up to Emmett and Rose and to not have that backfire on him. Sure it was only one night, but he was confident that things had changed course for him and Emmett, and with Rosalie as well.

He knew he needed to talk with Jasper and the elephant in the room otherwise known as Carlisle and Esme needed to be dealt with as well, but not before he gave Isabella what she deserved. He found he was more than ready to tell her what she needed to know. It could wait no longer.

As enjoyable as the night turned out to be, he really couldn't wait to be alone with his wife. From the way she kept a hold of his hand and continually looked at him, he was sure to check that he was okay, he knew Isabella was anxious to be alone as well. Finally, Emmett and Rose had to leave to go home and relieve the babysitter so it was time to say goodbye.

"Edward," Emmett said gruffly as he wrapped his arms around his brother in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you for...well, for everything. It's been a hell of a night," he said with a chuckle. He slapped Edward on the back one more time before he took a step backward.

"Well, we'll just have to see about making this a regular thing, what do you say? And next time, bring Jack and Emma," Edward said.

"Sounds great, brother. The kids miss their Uncle Edward," Emmett said and immediately felt bad when he saw the smile fade from his brother's face. "Ed, man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." he tried to say but was stopped when Edward reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing for you to be sorry for, Em. It's my own damn fault I don't spend enough time with them. I'll just have to fix that, won't I?" he asked and then looked at Rose. "I hope you'll bring them the next time you come, Rose. I really would like the chance to spend more time with them."

Again Rose found herself speechless, but recovered quickly. _Edward really didn't do anything half-assed did he?_ she thought to herself with a quiet chuckle.

Well, she thought, if he was game then so was she. "They would love it, Edward. How about you guys come watch Jack play baseball on Saturday and then you two can come back to the house for dinner?"

Edward quickly looked at Isabella, who of course agreed immediately. "We'd love to," Edward answered.

Emmett stepped forward to give Isabella a hug which left Edward and Rose to say goodbye. "Thanks for having us over, Edward," she told him as she gave him a hug. "I'm willing to give you a chance, Scroogeward, but if you fuck it up, if you hurt Em, I'll make you regret it. I'm rather fond of Isabella and I'm sure she'd like to keep you around, but Em is my number one concern. Don't mess up this chance, Edward. It's the last one you'll get," she finished saying.

Edward couldn't even get mad at her harsh words because he knew she was only looking out for Emmett. He expected nothing less.

"I'm not going to mess it up, Rose, I give you my word. I've missed too much to risk losing everything. I'm done running away and I'm done hiding," he promised her.

She kissed his cheek and with much love she whispered, "Welcome back. We've missed you."

After one more round of hugs and kisses and reaffirming plans to see each other in only a few days time, Edward shut the door and turned to face his wife.

"Edward, I..." she began but he strode to her in three long strides and stopped in front of her.

"Wait, Beautiful, please just...wait. I need to tell you something and I can't wait another damn second," he said. He reached down and gripped her hands in his and held on, shaking with an intense need so all-encompassing it was all he could do to keep upright.

"You told me the other day that you didn't want my words unless I gave you my heart with them. I should have told you then, I should have told you a long time ago. I should have made you see, believed that my heart...it's always been yours. Since the very first moment you walked into my office all those years ago, my entire being has belonged only to you. I'm not a perfect man, Isabella, far from it, but you make me want to be better because you deserve better. You've deserved so much better than what I've put you through for the past five years and I'll never be able to make up for all the hurt and pain I've caused you, but you need to know something. Isabella," he said in a shaky voice.

"I love you. I've loved you all this time. My past...there are things...I don't know...I've been such a coward, so afraid of being hurt the way I was before. I thought it would be better to keep my distance from you, to not allow myself to be completely enthralled by you, to keep my walls up to keep you from being so close to me. None of it has mattered because you've always been here," he told her and lifted their joined hands to his chest and laid them above his heart. "No matter how far I tried to run or how hard I tried to hide, you've always been a part of me."

He lifted his other hand and cupped her cheek and looked into the brown eyes that he went to bed every night dreaming about. The ones that were looking at him with so much love they made the heart that belonged to her ache with grief for the pain he'd caused, but soar with the sense of joy he felt at finally letting her see how much he needed her.

"I love you," he told her in a fierce, passionate voice.

Isabella felt her eyes fill with tears and felt them fall down her cheeks. "Oh, Edward," she cried but he placed his finger on her lips so that he could say the one final thing he had left. He would still need to tell her about his parents and what he lived through, but this was even more important than that.

"Isabella, my wife, my love...I have so much to make up for, so much to repay. I'm asking, begging, you to forgive me. You shouldn't and I don't deserve it, but I'm asking anyway. Please tell me you forgive me and that you'll let me be the man that deserves you, that is worthy of you. Please," he beseeched, leaving his future completely in her tiny, but so very strong hands.

Mending his relationship with Emmett and Rose, getting to know his niece and nephew, somehow finding a way to repair some or all of the damage done to things between him and Esme and Carlisle meant nothing if Isabella didn't, or couldn't, forgive him.

Sure, the past few days had been nothing short of blissful, but she deserved to know how he felt about her, how he'd always felt. She deserved the chance to decide if she could take another chance on him...she deserved to be the one that decided on how his remaining days would be spent.

"Edward, my poor scared, broken husband," she said tenderly as her tears fell unchecked. She lifted her free hand and laid it along his cheek and continued. "You've already been forgiven. Each day when I prayed for you and asked for it to be the day you let me in, I forgave you. Each day I woke up still filled with hope that you'd somehow find your way to me, I forgave you. Each day I've loved you, I've forgiven you."

Her words were like a blanket, enveloping him in a warmth so deep it burned from the inside out. He crushed her body to his, twisted her hair in his fingers, and crashed his lips onto hers.

He allowed himself to let go of everything, all the guilt and fear and grief, and just let himself be in the moment with her. She had always been his everything, his reason, even though she didn't know it.

"Fuck, Isabella, I want you, need you so much," he hissed as he pulled her even closer to him. He lifted his lips from hers and slid them along to the side of her neck. "Let me take you to our bed, please? Let me make it ours again," he whispered as he sucked on the tender skin.

Isabella hung onto Edward, too many thoughts sifting through her mind to be able to form even the simplest word, so she nodded her head and wrapped her arms even tighter around his neck. She shook in his arms, not from being cold, but solely from being so overwhelmed by what he'd just told her. She had always felt, known, believed, that he loved and needed her the way she did him, but to hear him admit it, to acknowledge it, was something different altogether.

_He loved her, needed her...wanted her the way she did him_ , she thought. He always had. It was a heady thing to know.

"Hang on to me, Beautiful, don't let go," he whispered tenderly before he swept her up into his arms. "Don't ever let me go."

"Never, Edward," Isabella told him and then curled against his chest as he walked effortlessly up the stairs and to their room.

Edward was frantic with his need to be inside of her, to claim her, to be as close as humanly possible to her, but he wanted to take his time, to savor their coming together as one, as husband and wife. He wanted her to never forget this moment.

He pushed the door open to their room and once he'd walked through the door he regretfully dropped her carefully to her feet. He took a step backward from her, taking a brief moment to admire the way she looked in the moonlight that streamed in through the window. He found he couldn't speak but he let his eyes tell her everything he wished he could say.

Isabella stood before her husband, mesmerized by the intense way his eyes devoured her, as if he was seeing her clearly for the first time. The green of his eyes was almost black they were so full of want, need, and love and he looked like he couldn't decide whether to keep looking at her or throw her down on the bed and make love to her. If she was honest, she didn't know which she wanted more either.

Edward apparently came to some sort of silent decision and he slowly walked toward her. That indefinable, unseen force that always surrounded them was present, so much so the air around them nearly crackled and sizzled. The closer he came, the more Isabella's body reacted. Her skin tingled, her breathing increased, her panties became so damp she could feel the cool air from the fan overhead.

"Edward," she said on a breathless, raspy sigh. She couldn't even quantify exactly what she wanted. She wanted him, but she wanted him to take her, claim her, consume her. She wanted his hands, fingers, mouth, tongue...everywhere. She wanted to feel him buried deep inside of her. She reached down and gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. She lowered her hands and undid the button on her jeans and let them slide down her legs until they pooled at her feet. She reached up behind her back, staring straight into the unblinking eyes of her husband and moved to undo her black satin bra when he stepped in front of her.

"Wait," he said roughly. "Fuck, just...let me, please?" he asked, need lacing his voice so it barely sounded like her Edward. He reached up with shaking fingers and quickly undid the clasp of her bra. Once the clasp was undone, he slid his hands under the fabric and watched with barely contained want as it fell from her arms, leaving her gloriously naked save for her sexy as hell tiny black panties. "So damn beautiful," he whispered in awe as the moonlight danced over her body as she stood before him.

"I love you, Isabella, with all that I am, I love you. I've been such a fool," he said as he reached for her hand. He laced their fingers together and gently led her to the bed. When they got to the edge he looked at her and lifted their joined hands to his lips where he kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. "Let me show you how much. I need to make you see, make you believe me," he said somewhat frantically.

"Sweetheart, stop," she said and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She pressed her body firmly against his, trying to get as close as possible to him.

He bent his head down and buried his nose in her hair. He splayed his hands across her naked back and hung on for dear life. "So sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," he murmured over and over, each time his voice becoming more and more anguished.

Isabella was grateful for the sincere apologies, but enough was enough. She'd forgiven him long ago and she had no desire whatsoever to live in the past. Not when the future looked so incredibly promising. The Edward she'd fallen in love with, the Edward she'd saved herself for, was standing in front of her, vulnerable and needy and she wanted him, all of him.

Right fucking now, actually. Her body ached for his, desperately so.

"Make love to me, Edward. Show me how much you love me. Make me yours again," she whispered when she'd pulled his head down to hers so she could kiss him. Her tongue tangled with his in his mouth, languidly dipping and twirling until her entire body felt like it was on fire. Edward groaned into her mouth, and gently pushed her back onto the bed, immediately covering her body with his.

Edward settled himself between her thighs and stared down at her gorgeous face. Wordlessly he let his fingertips trace over skin, through her hair, over her body. He just needed to feel her, every inch of her. With each passing moment, with each dip and valley over her body, he could literally feel the walls he had built up around his heart, disintegrate into unrecognizable pieces and float away.

He was so done with trying to keep himself hidden away, always watching from the outside, always wishing things were different. He was done with lying to himself to keep from being hurt. He was done with not letting Isabella see that without her, he had nothing and was nothing.

He was done with her not knowing that she was his everything...his home.

Leaning down, his mouth claimed hers once more and he allowed every thought and feeling he had to be poured into that kiss. "Beautiful...fuck, I just...everything...so different, so much..." he murmured incoherently. He wasn't even sure what he was trying to say.

"I know, Edward," Isabella answered him. She did know, too. She knew it all. He might not have been able to open himself up to her, but intuitively she'd always known. There hadn't been a day that had gone by that she didn't hope for this moment right here and now. The moment when he finally admitted how much he loved and needed her, no matter the demons he still had left to fight.

"I need you," he breathed against her skin as he kissed across her collarbones. His tongue flicked and licked its way from left to right, savoring the taste of her. He placed his hands over her breasts and held them. His thumbs rubbed her hardened nipples. He ground his hardened length against her. He sucked on the tender, fragrant skin behind her ear. "Fuck, I need you, Isabella. I want to be inside of you, feeling you all around me. I want to feel you come for me," he rasped into her ear.

His fingers were demanding, his mouth even more so as he drove and drove her closer to the brink. He trailed his fingers down her body and slid them into her panties, finally touching where he'd needed to, where she needed him to. Her body came alive even more at his expert touch, exploding in pleasure as he teased and taunted. His fingers slid effortlessly through her wet heat, taking her closer and closer to that delicious precipice.

"That's it, Beautiful. Come for me," he instructed her. He bent his head down and curled his tongue around her hardened peak before biting down gently. Her body reacted instantly and she shattered beneath him, coming so hard she saw nothing but a blinding, white light.

Isabella felt like she was floating as she curled her fingers and gripped the sheets of the bed in her hand. Never had anything felt so exquisite, so right. Not the first time they'd made love as husband and wife in Italy all those years ago, not the other night when he'd returned from his trip, not even the other morning in this very bed had she experienced anything on this level. It was all she'd ever hoped for.

"Oh, Edward…yes, God yes…" she panted as he continued to touch her. He moved his fingers so they were inside of her and she could feel herself close to falling apart again. Wave after wave after delicious wave washed over as he kept on.

"Again, Isabella. Come…again…now," he breathed against the side of her neck. "You have no idea how fucking beautiful you look when you come," he told her as she came once more.

Her body was covered with a light sheen of sweat and her chest heaved with her heavy breathing as she fought to get her body into some semblance of control. Her hair was damp and stuck to her forehead and cheeks and when Edward picked his head up to look at her, her brown eyes were so full of unconcealed desire, he groaned loudly.

"Edward, please. I need to feel you inside of me…now, please," she begged and he covered her mouth quickly to stop her from begging again.

She never needed to beg him, whatever she wanted, he would gladly give. She deserved no less.

"Shh, my beautiful Isabella," he crooned softly and fumbled to undo his jeans. She grabbed frantically at his shirt and pulled it over his head. When he was blessedly as naked as she was, he covered her body with his. Their bodies each reacted instantly the moment skin met skin and each let out a sigh of contentment to finally feel so much.

Isabella looked up at her husband and ran her hands lovingly through his hair. "I love you so much, Edward. You have no idea how happy you've made me," she told him in a voice thick with so much pent up emotion.

How long she had waited for this moment, for him to finally let his guard down and trust her enough to let her see how much he needed and loved her. It was better, more than she ever could have imagined.

"I love you, too," he whispered back reverently as he brushed her hair back from her face. "For so long I've loved you without letting you see how much. I intend to show you every day from this day forward how much I've always, will always, love you," he promised her. He began to rock against her, his need to be inside of her driving him to the point of pain. Edward reached down and carefully slid her panties down her soft, silky legs and quickly removed his boxers as well.

He lifted his hips and entered her slowly, relishing each agonizing, aching moment. "Look at me, Isabella," he commanded as he continued to move. Her eyes found his and he held her stare until he was fully surrounded by her.

"Nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do. You're my everything. Everything good that I have is because of you; every ounce of love and happiness I feel is because of you, only you, my love. You've been mine since the first moment I saw you, just as I've been yours," he told her as he began to move inside of her.

"Edward, ah…so good, feels so good," she breathed out and tipped her head back and started to close her eyes before he called to her again.

"No, look at me, please don't stop looking at me," he entreated, needing that connection of looking into her eyes to keep him from falling apart. He was sinking, totally weighed down by everything he felt at the moment and it was only by looking in her eyes would he be able to keep afloat, to keep from succumbing to it all.

"With me, Isabella," he told her, feeling himself edging closer to that cliff of ecstasy. "Come with me, together, please," he begged feeling himself grow even harder inside of her as he continued to move in slow, steady strokes.

Her muscles clenched him, pulling him in even deeper as she stared into his eyes. "So close, Edward. I'm so close," she told him, her body beginning to shake beneath him.

She felt herself let go, the orgasm powerfully washing over her, as she pulsed and fluttered around him. Finally, he exploded, releasing inside of her. She felt him shake above her, his arms barely holding himself up. When he could support himself no longer, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily against the side of her neck.

Never in his most vivid and wild imaginations would he have ever imagined anything would feel so fucking good. He was exhausted and spent, but he felt more free and happy than he thought possible. All because of the woman beneath him.

He picked his head up and stared into her sleepy, sated face. "That was," he chuckled softly and trailed off since he was unsurprisingly at a loss for words.

"Yes, it was," Isabella giggled and then smiled softly at him.

"Whoever knew it could be like that?" she asked as she ran her fingers up and down his arms.

Edward shook his head, and smiled at her. "Sure as hell not me. Amazing," he whispered.

They laid together, silent, except for their breathing as each basked in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Regretfully, he slid from her body, missing being inside of her the moment he did so, but he hoped to remedy that again, and soon. He had a feeling he would be hard-pressed to want to do much of anything except make love to her from now on.

After they cleaned up, Edward led her back to the bed, their bed from now on. He couldn't stop touching her, couldn't stop kissing her, and they made love again and again until the early morning light spilled into their room.

When Isabella fell into an exhausted but blissful sleep, Edward said a quick prayer to whomever it was that decided he deserved a second chance. He might only have weeks or months left with her, he might have longer, he might die tomorrow, but whatever his fate, he would meet his end knowing that Isabella knew how much she meant to him, how much he needed her, how very much he loved her. He didn't pray for himself, he didn't beg or barter for more time; he merely thanked whatever force was out there for the chance to make things right with her.

He fell asleep to the soothing sounds of her breathing as well as that ever-present warm feeling he got, the one that tricky angel person kept leaving him with. "Damn angel," he murmured before he followed his wife to the dark of sleep.

The next day was a first for Edward Anthony Cullen.

He was late for work.

He took an extended lunch.

He left work early, before anyone else.

He smiled all day.

He called, texted, and emailed his wife practically nonstop.

He was deliriously happy.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Isabella tapped her phone to pull up the text message Rosalie had sent her earlier while she and Edward were having a rather interesting breakfast. It was quite the experience to eat without utensils and one she wouldn't mind trying again soon.

"Jack's game starts in about thirty minutes," she told Edward as they pulled into the park where the baseball game was being played. "Look, there's Emmett's truck," she said as Edward parked his Mercedes SLR into the spot next to his.

When she reached for the handle of her door to get out, Edward grabbed her other hand. He tugged her across the console so he could get one more kiss in before they had to somewhat behave. Kids or no kids, it was going to be damn hard to keep his hands off her, so he hoped one last scorching kiss was enough to get him through the next few hours.

He highly doubted it, but hey, it was worth a shot.

The angel had been shockingly absent so far today, Edward thought in the back of his mind before he stepped from the car. He walked around to open Isabella's door, even though she rolled her eyes at the gesture. He might have been an asshole for the past few years, but he did have impeccable manners. Not only that, he thought with a wry grin when he opened the door and took her hand in his, helping her from the car just allowed him to pull her lithe body against his.

He wasn't a total fool.

They walked hand in hand toward the baseball field, laughing and talking softly and as they approached the bleachers and saw Rose and Emmett, Edward heard a voice, one that was sure to put a damper on what had thus far been a perfect Saturday.

"Hello, Edward, Isabella," Carlisle said as he walked up behind them.

Shit, no wonder the damn angel had disappeared, though Edward knew he was watching.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**OOOhhh! Carlisle is there! And...we got the dinner with Rose and Em, the I Love You's...finally, and a really hot lemon! Not too bad huh? I hope you all are enjoying the change in our Edward. He's come a long way, I hope you'll agree. I'm so excited to see what you all think of the next few chapters, things are going to start moving along!**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I've answered a couple questions it seems lots of you have had, and I'll be happy to answer any more.**

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**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see a discussion between Alec and Marcus and maybe get a bit of insight into our Edward. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous from the holidays so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

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**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! I gave you guys the I love you and a lemon...leave me some love, okay?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

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**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 12**

Edward stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard Carlisle's voice. Instinctively he pulled Isabella closer to him, as if having her closer would somehow provide protection. Which of course she did. Edward had said very little to her over the years about his relationship, or lack thereof more specifically, with his adoptive parents, Carlisle especially. Edward still made a point to speak to Esme on a somewhat regular basis, though in all honesty, trying to remain close to her was in a way, even more difficult than Carlisle, if only because of the reminder it gave him of his mother.

He felt Isabella squeeze his hand when a few long moments had passed and he hadn't said anything and he looked at her and gave her a smile in thanks. Thanks for what he wasn't sure...for being his rock, for her support, because she was, as she'd always been, right by his side. He bent his head down and brushed a quick kiss along her cheek before he faced Carlisle.

"Hello, Carlisle," Edward said somewhat tersely.

He tried not to be annoyed, but he couldn't really help it. The last few days, since he'd told Isabella he'd loved her, had been mind-blowingly perfect. Almost too good to be true and Edward found himself quite often pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. It was easy he was finding to not think about all that dying business when the annoying angel wasn't hovering to remind him over and over about his limited time left with Isabella.

And now here was Carlisle, intruding on his happy day.

Fucking hell.

Edward glanced around quickly, knowing if Carlisle was there that surely meant Esme was as well, and when he looked toward the playground, sure enough, there she was pushing Emma on the swings.

Great.

Isabella felt the tension rolling off Edward in waves and wanting to keep him as happy and carefree as he'd been for the past week, she stepped forward to greet her father-in-law.

"Hi, Carlisle," she said brightly and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Edward's hand was still firmly gripped around hers and she felt him tense when she said hello. Well, that was weird she thought and made a mental note to pursue that topic of conversation later with him.

Carlisle shifted awkwardly from foot to foot as he stood in front of his son and daughter-in-law. He'd seen Edward in passing at the office but hadn't had a chance to speak to him since he'd returned from New York. Truthfully, he hadn't gone out of his way to talk to him either, he admitted reluctantly to himself.

Esme's words still haunted him, as they had all week. Edward had always been distant with him, ever since the first time they met in Ireland all those years ago. It was a difficult adjustment for him to make, especially because Edward was so different from Emmett. Carlisle couldn't help but question his own actions. Had he tried hard enough to reach him? Had he unknowingly pushed him away somehow? Had he been so jealous of Edward's relationship with his own father that he let that manifest to the point he was angry at his own son for having something he didn't? None of those questions had an easy answer and over the past week, though he'd thought about those things quite often, he found himself trying to answer them as honestly as he could.

So far he hadn't liked much of what he'd discovered.

Carlisle had spoke with Emmett yesterday and listened to him talk about the dinner the night before with Edward and Isabella and he found himself more than a bit regretful that he and Esme weren't invited as well. He understood, of course, and he was happy to see his sons spending time together, but he couldn't help but feel a little slighted, too. He knew Esme was saddened that they weren't included and that upset him to no end.

And therein lay much of the problem between himself and Edward.

"Aunt Belwa," Emma squealed as she ran from Esme to Isabella when she noticed her.

Little Emma Ann Cullen was the spitting image of her mother. Long, curly blonde hair and eyes so blue they made you stop and take a second look because you were sure they couldn't possibly be as blue as they appeared. She had her father's dimples and smile and Edward felt a deep and profound pang of regret when he watched Isabella's face light up like a Christmas tree when she heard their niece call her name.

He'd never wanted children; he couldn't ever imagine knowingly or willingly putting a child through what he'd been through. He knew he wasn't a thing like his father, Liam, and he sure as hell knew Isabella was nothing like his mother, Maggie, but that deep-rooted fear he had of making the same mistakes kept him from even thinking about having children. Looking at his wife and the way she smiled at little Emma, he very much regretted that train of thought.

_How incredible a mother she would be_ , he sadly said to himself. So much love to give and he'd deprived her of the chance.

Isabella looked at her husband when she heard the sad sigh he let out and immediately stood and laid her hand on his arm. "Edward?" she questioned anxiously, hating so much to see the pain etched on his face. His green eyes were tumultuous and his jaw was tense and she didn't like it, not at all.

Edward took a deep breath and then smiled tenderly at her. "I'm fine, love." He chuckled when she raised her eyebrows, obviously not believing him. "I promise, I'm fine. Really," he told her and kissed her quickly on the lips as Emma wrapped her arms tightly around Isabella's legs.

"We'll talk about this later," she warned him and he nodded, knowing full well she'd say that.

"Sweet Pea!" Isabella exclaimed as she bent down and picked up the little girl that never failed to bring a smile to her face. "I swear you've grown since the last time I saw you!"

Isabella nuzzled the little girl in her arms with her nose, inhaling the sweet, distinctive little girl smell Emma always had. She looked at her in question when she felt her tiny hands tap on her arm. "Yep, that's Uncle Edward. Can you say hi?" she asked when she saw where Emma was pointing and looked at her husband. She couldn't help but frown at the brief flash of pain she saw flit across his face but it was gone as quick as it had come. He stepped forward and ran his hand down Emma's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"Hi, pretty girl," he said, sounding a bit afraid, which was just plain silly as far as Isabella was concerned.

Emma was an exceedingly outgoing child and though she was a bit hesitant with Edward because he hadn't been around her very much, she still lifted her arms to him. He looked at Isabella with wide eyes and she laughed at him. "Edward, she won't break. Hold her for a minute."

Edward reached out and lifted the little girl from his wife's arms and as soon as he held her against his chest and she wrapped her little hands around his neck, Edward...melted.

Like, full-on, big ole puddle of Edward goo.

"You sure are a pretty little thing."

Edward laughed softly when she snuggled right up in the crook of his neck. He walked around with her for a few minutes and held onto her, rubbing her back and talking quietly to her. She picked her head up after a time and pointed back toward the playground and said, "Play wif me?"

Edward looked back to Isabella, who had been watching in rapt attention to her husband and niece. She sniffed and felt the hot sting of tears in the corners of her eyes. Edward looked so peaceful as he walked and talked softly to Emma and it tugged at her heart to see him in such a way.

It sure didn't seem like he'd had anywhere near enough of that in his past, judging from the way he looked and acted now and the things he'd mentioned in passing before.

"Beautiful, me and Miss Emma are going to go swing for a few minutes. We'll be right back," he told her before walking toward the swings.

She nodded at him and couldn't help but smile at how utterly adorable he was. "He seems very different," Esme said quietly as she stepped up next to Isabella as they both watched Edward push Emma on the swing.

"He is," Isabella answered simply.

Esme continued to watch her son with her granddaughter and when he laughed at something Emma told him, it was the sweetest sound she'd ever heard. Her heart leapt but was quickly replaced with a pang of longing so acute it took her breath away. How she wished she'd heard that sound more as he grew up. How she wished she was an integral part of his life instead of a mostly absent mother. How she wished things were different.

"Is he...is everything okay?" Esme asked, trying very hard to figure out what was going on. Between hearing about the dinner with Emmett and Rose and seeing Edward with Emma, it was like she was looking at a completely different Edward.

Isabella sighed, unsure how to answer her mother-in-law. She was all for building bridges and mending fences, but not at the expense of his happiness. She'd just found the Edward she'd been waiting for, and she wasn't about to risk losing him by making him talk with Carlisle and Esme if he wasn't ready.

"Yes, Esme, he is fine. Better than fine," Isabella said lovingly, feeling her heart fill as she thought about the past week.

"What's happened? He seems so...happy," Esme trailed off. It wasn't like she begrudged Edward being happy, far from it, but it was just such a shock to see.

Isabella huffed, and while she understood where Esme was coming from, it still rubbed her the wrong way, a lot. "And that is a bad thing?" she snapped.

She had never really understood the dynamics of the relationship Edward had with his adoptive parents. She knew that he was adopted by Carlisle and Esme when he was fourteen. She knew that Edward's mother, Maggie, had been Esme's sister and that there had been some sort of falling out between Maggie and her family. She knew that his grandfather had died just before she started working for Cullen Publishing and she knew that Edward had been groomed to be William Cullen's successor.

She knew that Edward had spent too many years lonely and afraid.

Isabella was very fond of Esme, she tolerated Carlisle, and she often found herself angry at the both of them for Edward's unhappiness. He was a fourteen-year-old boy when they'd taken him in; they were the adults. It was hard not to blame them for not being able to do more for Edward, though what that should have been, she had no idea. She didn't know what had happened to Edward before he left Ireland, but she just didn't understand how Esme and Carlisle could allow whatever had happened to continue for so long.

"No, of course it's not a bad thing," Esme said quietly. "It's wonderful to see. I was just curious as to what has caused such a drastic change."

"Perhaps you should ask him, Esme," Isabella answered curtly and then immediately felt bad for her tone of voice. "Esme, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that that way. I know he's different, but that Edward," she said as she pointed to where Edward was holding Emma in his arms, "is MY Edward. He's the one I fell in love with and he's the one I've prayed would come back to me. I will not let anyone, not even you or Carlisle, do anything to jeopardize his happiness. He's been so unhappy for so long and I refuse to allow him to go back to the way he was."

"She's a beautiful little girl, Edward," Seth said when he appeared on the swing next to Emma's.

Edward had to laugh at the sight, because seeing Seth on a swing just seemed so bizarre.

"Yes, she is," Edward answered once he'd stopped laughing.

"How are you doing so far?" the angel questioned. He'd been watching all morning, for he knew that Carlisle and Esme would be here at the park. Should he have warned Edward ahead of time? He didn't think so. He wanted Edward to enjoy his morning with Isabella and in all honesty, he wanted to see Edward's reaction to Carlisle.

Gideon and Seth had talked at great length about the strides Edward had made this week. Once he'd told Isabella he loved her, it seemed as if Edward's entire being had changed. He smiled, he laughed, he teased. Granted, it was only with Isabella, but still, it was a huge step.

"Hell if I know," Edward answered sarcastically. "Why did he have to be here, today of all days?"

"Did you ever think that maybe he wanted to see you, Edward?" the angel probed. Edward was still so bitter, so stubborn when it came to Carlisle. While Seth understood, to an extent, where the intense feelings came from, sooner or later Edward was going to have to give.

Edward might try to convince himself that as long as he'd reconnected with Isabella, he would be happy with that, but the all-knowing angel knew better. Sure it would go a long way into mending his broken heart, but until he'd made peace with Carlisle and Esme, which in turn meant coming to terms with what had happened to him all those years ago, Edward wouldn't be truly happy.

"Whatever," Edward grumbled. He knew he was being purposely obstinate where Carlisle was concerned, but he just didn't want to go there. Not yet anyway. Things were so good with Isabella, he didn't want to risk anything happening to the happiness he'd found with her.

Seth sighed, shaking the entire play structure. Thankfully, whatever 'forgetful dust' he used whenever he was around seemed to work on Emma just like everyone else, Edward thought with a shake of his head.

The whole thing was still so damn…weird.

"Boy, you are trying my very last nerve," the angel huffed in exasperation. "Edward, I know dealing with Carlisle is going to be hard, the hardest thing you've ever done more than likely. I know it's going to open wounds you'd rather leave alone, but you need to heal, not just where Isabella is concerned, but with both sets of your parents, too. Your scars run deep, and it is only by opening them up again and dealing with them once and for all that you can close them permanently. Forgiveness isn't easy, Edward Anthony, neither is grace; for that matter, neither is love. Look at your lovely wife," Seth said in a much gentler voice.

Edward turned his head and found his wife talking to Esme. Her hair was blowing in the gentle breeze and her cheeks had the slightest tinge of pink to them. She was so beautiful his breath caught in his throat. He loved her, God how he loved her. So much he didn't know how it was possible to love someone as much as he loved Isabella.

"Love is messy and scary and hard, Edward, but it is also tender and warm, and can make you feel like you can scale mountains and fly. It has the power to render a man speechless and it has the power to break your heart into a million tiny pieces. You've found all of that with that incredible woman over there; don't you think you might find the same with your family? It isn't the same type of love a husband feels for his wife, his soul mate, but it can be just as beautiful," Seth finished.

Edward was so torn and so very scared, but he knew what the angel told him was right. He was tired, so fucking tired of carrying around all the hurt and anger. He wanted to let go of it, he wanted to be free, but it would come with a price and he just wasn't sure he wanted to pay it, no matter the reward.

Isabella looked up and saw Edward watching her interaction with his mother. His head was tilted to the side as he tried to figure out what was going on and she smiled at him, suddenly wanting to be close to him. Turning to Esme she excused herself and started walking toward him, doing everything in her power to keep from running to him.

"Think about what I've said, Edward. Who knows, you might find Carlisle and Esme want to make things right as much as you did with Isabella," Seth prodded and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered.

"Aunt Belwah!" Emma squealed excitedly when she saw Isabella approach. "Uncle Ebbard play wif me," she sang as she kicked her little legs while Edward continued to push her.

"Are you okay?" Isabella asked him when she looked at him. He looked fine, a bit tense, but nothing that she didn't expect.

He gave her a sexy, lazy smile and said, "I am with the two most beautiful girls in the world, how could I not be okay?"

She smiled at him, her heart melting at his sweet words and said, "Flattery will get you everywhere, husband of mine. Come on, let's take little miss to the bathroom and go find our seats so we can watch Jack."

They walked, all hand in hand with Emma between them, oblivious to the others that were watching.

"Well, I'll be damned." Emmett chuckled with a smile while he and Jack warmed up by throwing the baseball back and forth. He didn't even have words to describe what Edward being here today meant to him. To others it might seem like such a small thing, but not to him. He knew having his mom and dad there would be hard for Edward, but the fact that he didn't bolt immediately gave him hope that they had all indeed reached a turning point.

"Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella are going to stay and watch me, aren't they, Dad?" Jack asked, the hope in his voice evident.

"Yes, little man, they are. They're even coming back to the house for dinner," Emmett answered.

"Cool. Do you think Uncle Edward will play on the Wii with me?" Jack asked and Emmett couldn't help but laugh at the thought of his uptight brother playing video games. But, hell, he never thought he'd see the day he pushed his daughter on the swings or came to a baseball game either, so who knew?

Emmett looked at Edward and Isabella again, smiling hugely when Edward pretended to chase Emma and she giggled at him. "It won't hurt to ask, Jack. Now, let's get to the dugout, it's game time."

Rosalie turned from the conversation she was having while she waited in the bleachers for the game to start when she heard her daughter's unmistakable laugh. She did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things, but after a second glance, she realized she wasn't. Edward really was playing with Emma, willingly, and from all appearances was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Rose, who is that with Emma?" her friend, Julie, asked her.

"My brother-in-law, Edward," Rose answered slowly as she stared, transfixed by the sight across the field.

Julie whistled lowly and bumped her shoulder. "And where have you been hiding him? That man is drop dead gorgeous."

"Jules, he's married and I happen to adore my sister-in-law," Rose answered her harmless friend with a roll of her eyes. She was a huge flirt, but she was married to her high school sweetheart so Rose knew the comment was made in fun.

"Happily?" Julie questioned, not trying to be nosy, well, not too nosy.

Rose looked back and found Edward carrying Emma; she was obviously worn out from all the activity. He had his other arm wrapped tightly around Isabella's shoulder and when he bent down to whisper something in her ear and she smiled at him and kissed his cheek, Rose let out a happy sigh. "If you would have asked as soon as last week, I probably would have told you I had no idea. But today, I'll tell you yes, unequivocally happy."

"Well, his wife is one lucky woman," Julie said before turning her attention back to the other parents.

"Nope, Edward is the lucky one," Rose said, mostly to herself.

Carlisle and Esme were making their way to the bleachers from the concession stand and they followed behind the threesome, each lost in their own thoughts. Carlisle was bewildered as he stared at the scene in front of him. There was an aura around his son that was almost palpable and he was at a loss for words to define it. Edward was calm, relaxed, open even, well he was whenever he didn't get too close to him, Carlisle thought sadly with a shake of his head. How very depressing that just his presence caused such a reaction.

He cursed his deceased brother-in-law and sister-in-law for causing that instinct in Edward to pull away, to be wary of affection. As if he wasn't deserving or like it would be offered and then taken back on a whim. It didn't take much thought to figure out that something happened to Edward while he was growing up, something that affected his psyche so profoundly that it turned him into the man he was now.

As they continued to walk, Carlisle found his thoughts focused on his late father. William Cullen seemed to have an innate understanding of Edward, one no one else had. Whether that was because he saw himself in his adopted grandson or because Edward was so unlike Emmett or himself, Carlisle wasn't sure. What he did know, however, was that almost from the moment he and Esme returned from Ireland with Edward in tow, his father was more involved in his life and the lives of his family than he'd ever been previously.

It didn't take long for anyone to figure out that Edward was an exceptionally bright boy. His math skills were unparalleled, his reading level was years and years ahead of where he was in school, his vocabulary would have been better suited for someone at least twice his age. He understood economics, physics, and philosophy with an ease that often made him bored at school. No matter how advanced the class was, Edward was light years ahead of his classmates.

Once William Cullen set his sights on Edward, Carlisle felt like he'd lost him before he even had a chance to really get to know him. His own relationship with the elder Cullen made it next to impossible to compete for Edward's affections and truthfully, Edward seemed much more comfortable around his aloof, cool, and gruff grandfather than he ever did his more down to earth brother and more loving parents.

What to do, what to do? Carlisle repeatedly asked himself and sighed deeply as he walked beside his wife.

"He's different," Esme said softly. She stared ahead, feeling her heart warm at the sight of Edward being so affectionate with Emma and Isabella.

"Mmmm, hmm," Carlisle answered his wife just as softly.

Esme could tell something had changed as soon as she'd seen Edward help Isabella from the car and give her a kiss, in public no less. The words her daughter-in-law spoke to her a short while ago still stung, but Esme understood what Isabella was doing; it was what she'd always done from the very first moment she had met Edward. She was protecting him, putting his needs above her own, loving him unconditionally.

Ever since Edward and Isabella became a couple and then after they'd gotten married it had always been that way. Little things, things that would go unnoticed by all but the most diligent observer, proved over and over again how perfect Isabella was for her son. Whenever the family was together, she stayed by his side. He'd never been openly affectionate, but you could tell just her proximity kept him calm. During conversations, if a subject came up that caused him discomfort, she'd casually change the subject. She touched his arm and his hand just to remind him of her presence. Whenever he'd had enough family time, she'd make their excuses so they could leave. Edward was probably completely unaware of what was happening, but Esme saw it all.

Esme Cullen loved both of her sons, so much there were no words to describe it. When she'd found out she couldn't have children all those years ago, it was like a part of her had died. All her life, well from the time she could understand what she was feeling, all she'd wanted was to be a mother and then to have that ripped away from her was almost more than she could take. When she'd met Carlisle at a dinner party held by mutual friends, their attraction to each other was instantaneous. Esme had known who Carlisle was of course, Cullen Publishing was, even at that time, one of the most prestigious publishing firms in the country and William Cullen was well-known and respected in all of Chicago.

She did not immediately succumb to Carlisle's flirtatious ways though. She'd already been told she would be unable to have children and felt she would be an unworthy mate for one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors. Carlisle was relentless in his pursuit and after many heart to heart discussions in which he repeatedly told her that it was her that was most important, she finally agreed to marry him, much to the displeasure of William Cullen.

William Cullen was extremely disappointed in his son's choice of spouse and didn't keep his displeasure to himself. It wasn't that he disliked Esme, but the fact that there wouldn't be an heir to the Cullen dynasty was inconceivable. Carlisle was adamant that Esme was who he loved and who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and it wasn't until the two informed William of their plan to adopt Emmett that things between them thawed.

She and Carlisle had only been married a short time when Maggie ran away to Ireland with Liam. Esme was five years older than her only sister and she was devastated when Maggie disappeared. She tried to stay in contact with her, writing her letters every week, making regular phone calls, sending packages from home, anything to keep the lines of communication open, but all of her attempts were rebuffed. Even when their parents had passed away, her mother from a brain aneurism and her father shortly after from natural causes, though Esme was convinced it was from a broken heart, her sister still wouldn't talk to her.

Esme still hadn't, even all these years later, been able to forgive herself for giving up on her sister. After her parents had passed away and Maggie refused to come home, Esme decided she'd done all she could to reach her so she stopped trying. A person could only take so much rejection and Esme had reached her end, a fact of which she regretted still to this day. The only communication she'd had with her estranged sister was an announcement when Edward was born that included a picture. No letter, no other details, just a card and a picture.

When the call came all those years ago about her sister's and Liam's deaths, she didn't hesitate for an instant to rush to her nephew's aid. One look at Edward when they arrived was all it took for her to fall completely and totally in love with him. He'd looked so lost and so afraid when they had gotten to him that she didn't waver even a moment to take whatever steps needed to be done to bring him home with them. Money came in handy in certain situations, as well as a powerful name, and she didn't think twice about using both to get the paperwork filed so that Edward would be theirs permanently.

Esme sighed when she thought of that young boy and the subsequent years since he'd been made a permanent part of their family. So many things she didn't know, so many things left unsaid, so many damn regrets.

"Hey, Ed, Bella!" Emmett's loud voice boomed pulling Esme from her thoughts. She had to chuckle at her younger son's boisterous enthusiasm.

Edward looked up and smiled when he saw Emmett approach. "Daddy," Emma murmured sleepily when she heard his voice.

"Hi, Princess, did you have fun with your Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella?" Emmett asked his daughter and kissed the top of her head. She nodded her head at him and then wiggled to get down when she spied her mother off to her right.

Edward grinned when he watched her scamper off, climbing up the bleachers with ease. "You looked like you had fun yourself, bro," Emmett teased and Edward huffed but nodded anyway.

"She's a beautiful little girl, Emmett," Edward told him.

Emmett slapped him on the back, not wanting to get too mushy when there was a game to be played. "Well, just so you know, Jack is planning on challenging you to a fierce game of bowling on the Wii when you get to the house."

Edward had no idea how to bowl on a video game and he'd never played on a Wii in his life, but he found he was looking forward to it and told his brother just that. "I can't wait," Edward said and then waved at Jack who was watching him. "Tell Jack I said to play well, we'll talk to you when the game is done."

The game was...fun. Who knew you could enjoy watching a bunch of five-year-olds play baseball so much? Of course it wasn't as much playing as it was running aimlessly around the field, but it was fun nonetheless. He kept Isabella's hand firmly inside of his. He was very much aware that Rose, Esme, and Carlisle were watching his every move and while it unnerved him, he supposed he understood it, too. After all, it wasn't like he made a habit of hanging around the baseball park on a Saturday morning.

Isabella turned from the conversation she was having with Rose and looked at Edward, just to make sure he was doing okay. She knew today was a big step for him and she didn't want anything undermining his attempts. "Are you having fun?" she asked him.

She was so relieved when he smiled a heart-stopping smile, the one he used only for her. "Surprisingly, yes. Jack is very good," he said as he looked past her to Rose. He was, too. While most of the other boys looked lost and confused, Jack was focused and trying to do the best he could.

Rose smiled proudly and said, "Yeah, he is. Em practices with him almost every day after school for at least a few minutes. He's really loving it so far."

Edward turned back to the game and watched Jack catch a ball and run it to first base for an easy out. "His hard work has definitely paid off," Edward remarked and couldn't help but feel proud of the little boy as well. He didn't have anything to do with how well he played, but he was proud of him just the same.

The game passed quickly and before long he and Isabella were on their way to spend the afternoon at Emmett and Rose's house.

During the ride, most of which had been spent in a relaxing silence, Edward said quietly, "When I was Jack's age, I wanted to play baseball."

Isabella gasped softly at the unexpected admission. Immediately she had numerous questions for him, but instead of asking any she merely responded with an, "Oh?'

They were stopped at a stoplight so Edward was able to run a hand through his hair. He rested his head against the back of his seat and turned to his right to look at her. He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. All the boys at school played and I wanted to, too. I asked my father to practice with me, but he never did. So, instead of trying to teach myself, I just didn't play," he finished sadly.

"So you never got to play at all?" Isabella asked, squeezing his hand in comfort.

The traffic began moving again so he turned to look back out the windshield. "No, I didn't see much point in doing something else by myself. It was probably for the best anyway, it's not like either one of them would have ever made time to watch anyway."

Isabella felt her heart break at his pained and bitter voice. "I'm so sorry, Edward," she told him, wanting to erase every painful memory he had so she didn't have to hear that tone of his voice again.

He slid his hand from hers and then ran the backs of his fingers down the side of her cheek. "Thank you, Beautiful. It wasn't the happiest of childhoods, that was for damn sure. I did most everything by myself; I had to. It made it hard for me to trust people, you know? I just didn't want to take that chance again, even with you it was hard. I didn't know how," he admitted painfully.

When they reached the next stop light, Isabella reached up and held his hand to her face and stared into his eyes and told him lovingly, "You can trust me, Edward. You don't have to do this alone anymore."

"I'm beginning to understand and believe that. Be patient with me, Isabella. I'm trying."

"That is all I'd ever ask of you, sweetheart. I'll always be here for you," she reminded him yet again.

"You're all I've ever needed. I love you," he told her and then brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips, fighting an extreme urge to pull the car over and pull her into his lap and show her just how much he needed her.

He really did need her, too. In ways he couldn't even articulate. It wasn't solely sexual either, though his desire for her hadn't abated in the least. He needed her presence, he needed her quiet strength, and he needed her unwavering faith in him.

Isabella decided she needed to lighten the mood before they arrived at Rose and Emmett's house, especially because she knew Carlisle and Esme would be there as well, so she said, "Again, flattery will get you everywhere, husband of mine. Though between your sweet words and watching you with Emma, it was already a done deal. Now you're just trying to store up brownie points, aren't you?" She leaned over the console and kissed his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair before she said sweetly, "I loved watching you and Emma. I've never seen you so peaceful and content."

He chuckled as he turned down the street Emmett and Rose lived on and said, "I'd hate to be Emmett when that little girl gets older. He's going to need a very large gun to keep the boys away. She's going to be a heart breaker."

Isabella unbuckled her seat belt when the car came to a stop and looked at him. "I imagine you would be the same way with our daughter, Edward," she said and then opened her door.

Her words hit him hard, and as much as he wanted to fall to his knees and apologize profusely, it wasn't really the time for that. He couldn't stop the image of a little girl that looked just like her with long brown hair and a breathtaking smile and a little boy with his crazy hair but her brown eyes from playing like a movie over and over again in his mind.

Damn he wanted that, so, so much. But, much like begging for more time, he couldn't have it, so he resigned himself to the fact that it was just one more way he'd failed her and just one more thing he needed to make up to his wife for.

"Edward?" Isabella questioned in concern when he hadn't moved and he shook his head to rid himself of the melancholy thoughts. He had no doubt they would resurface, but he wanted to enjoy the rest of the day with her and the others.

He smiled at her and though she could see a faint hint of a lingering sadness, he looked okay. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry so much. I think I can survive a day with the family. Though, you can bet I'll let you know if I need you to rescue me. I have no idea how the hell to bowl on a thing called a Wii," he snickered and shook his head.

"Well, you just say the word, sweetheart, and I'll save you," she told him as she got out of the car.

"You already have," he whispered, then got out as well.

It turned out that Edward was an awful bowler, much to his nephew's delight. "Uncle Edward, you have to let go of the button so that the ball goes. You keep going in the gutter." He giggled at his totally clueless uncle.

"Kid, I think you are enjoying my humiliation way too much," Edward said with a wink. "Let's try again."

Once he'd managed to get somewhat of the hang of things, Jack said, "Thank you for coming to my game today. It was really cool to have you watch."

Edward reached over and ruffled his hair, pleased in a way he couldn't even fathom that something so small meant so much. He was just so sorry it had taken so long and he'd already missed so much. "You are a heck of a ballplayer, Jack. It was a lot of fun to watch. I'll try to make the next one, too, okay?" He didn't want to promise in case something came up and he wasn't able to make it. He was more than a little tired of disappointing people, most of all himself.

"Awesome," Jack said with a trademark Cullen smile.

"Bro, you suck," Emmett teased good-naturedly a few minutes later when he walked into the game room and looked at the pitiful score on the television.

Edward rolled his eyes, but took the ribbing in stride. "Give me a break, Em. I didn't even know what a Wii was until thirty minutes ago."

Emmett smiled at his brother and shook his head. He still couldn't believe the change in Edward, and though he didn't want to ruin his good mood, he figured he needed to warn him about the guests that had just arrived. "Mom and Dad are here," he said quietly, cringing in anticipation for the anger he expected but when all he heard was a sigh, he looked wide-eyed at Edward.

Edward chuckled, a bit flustered that Emmett was surprised by his reaction. He obviously expected something else and he supposed he couldn't blame him.

He didn't like admitting that, but the truth was the truth no matter how you tried to sugarcoat it.

"I didn't figure you wouldn't ask them over, Emmett. It's fine. It will be nice to have dinner together," Edward told him. He was being mostly truthful. He missed his mother and for everyone's sake, it would be nice to clear the air at least a bit with Carlisle.

"So, you're staying?" Emmett asked, double-checking that he'd heard right.

"Yes. Besides, I need more time to beat Jack at this infernal game," he told him and then turned back to his nephew. "I'll beat you, you just watch."

"Sure, Uncle Edward," the boy said with a roll of his eyes.

Emmett left the two and walked back upstairs to check the food on the grill, shaking his head the whole way.

Jack and Edward emerged a short while later and Edward was still no better at bowling than he was before.

They found the rest of the family sitting in the kitchen visiting while Emmett finished up outside. Everyone looked at him when they walked in, probably because he was laughing at Jack's teasing.

_Really?_ he thought, wondering how long it would take before people stopped looking at him like he was wearing a tutu.

"Hello, Mother," he said as he approached her, and he couldn't help but smile when she looked so happy to see him.

"Hello, Darling. I hear Jack is still the king of bowling?" she teased after she had kissed his cheek affectionately.

"Yeah, and from the looks of it, I'd say there is no chance of him losing that title anytime soon," he said with a chuckle.

Rosalie laughed, pleased more than she could say at Edward's efforts. "Well, Edward, it's nice to see you admit there's something you can't do well," she said with a wink.

_Ah, Rosalie, never one to mince words that was for damn sure_ , he thought.

Carlisle stood up from his chair, wanting to say hello and hoping for a different reaction this time. It sure seemed like his son was making an effort and he decided if Edward could, then so could he. "Hello again, son," Carlisle said and held his hand out.

Edward looked briefly at his wife and when she smiled at him encouragingly, he looked back at his father, holding his hand out, and said, "Hello, Carlisle."

Carlisle was a bit taken aback at the different tone of voice this time around and smiled at him in thanks. Everyone made their way to the table when Emmett came back inside carrying a platter full of grilled chicken and Carlisle quickly made a decision. Reaching a hand out to stop Edward, he laid it on his arm. When Edward turned and looked at him he said, "I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes after dinner if that is okay?"

Edward swallowed, knowing he had to say yes, no matter how much he didn't want to.

Damn it all.

He nodded and said, "Sure, there are a few things I'd like to talk to you about, too."

Carlisle nodded, the relief evident on his face as he sat down next to Esme.

Edward quietly said, "You'd better hurry the hell up, there is no way I'm doing this alone." He knew the unseen angel was hovering, he could feel it.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered before taking his seat next to his wife, hoping that it was a long dinner.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**How cute was Edward with the kids? And, I thought he handled himself pretty good so far, don't you? Plus we got some background on a few things and few other points of view, too. Hope you liked that. Next chapter...just a fair warning...I've been told you will need tissues. But after that is 14 which is my favorite chapter so far!**

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**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see Esme again and get a bit deeper into her and her sister, Maggie. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

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**Now…on with the story! I've been told to issue a tissue warning...so consider yourselves warned. And, I guess a tiny bit of citrus at the end! Eeek...here we go...**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 13**

"You rang?" the angel asked with a smirk when he appeared.

Seth took in the scene in front of him and tried to hide his smile, but he obviously didn't do a very good job because almost instantly he heard Edward growl at him. Edward looked positively green and his eyes were darting furiously, as if he were looking for the quickest way to make a break for it.

"It's not funny, damn it. I'm dying here," Edward said pitifully and then, well, Seth couldn't help but laugh at the dramatics.

"Really, Eddie? It's just dinner with your family, I hardly think you are dying. Cut the crap. Now, what has your Underoos in such a twist?" Seth asked, though he was pretty sure he knew what the answer was.

He'd been paying close attention as the events unfolded throughout the day and he had to grudgingly concede that Edward had handled himself phenomenally well so far. He had exceeded his expectations by miles in all matter-of-fact. The day hadn't been an easy one, Seth knew, but Edward seemed to be holding his own. How long he managed to keep doing so remained to be seen however.

It quite amazed him, in all honesty, that Edward had been able to interact with the children the way he had. Given his own childhood and the way he'd always kept to himself, it was surprising that Edward was such a natural with Emma and Jack. Of course, children being children, they accepted him with open arms and that went a long way, Seth knew.

He also knew that it was because of Isabella that Edward had managed as successfully as he had all day. Ever since he'd told her he loved her, you could almost see him soaking up her love and belief in him. It was quite a beautiful thing to witness.

But, in the immediate future there were other more pressing matters to attend to, and ones that wouldn't be as enjoyable as the lovely Isabella either.

Edward slouched down in his chair, really fucking thankful for the brief respite the insufferable angel brought with him. He needed a few minutes to get his shit together. Whatever 'forgetful dust' mumbo jumbo the otherworldly creature used when he appeared was mind-boggling as hell, but right then he was pretty damn grateful for it.

_What the hell had he been thinking when he agreed to talk to Carlisle?_ he cursed himself. The day had gone so well, better than well actually; it was damn near perfect and he didn't want to end it by talking to Carlisle. If he was being honest, he wanted to end it in bed with his wife, naked. To be one hundred percent, no holds barred honest, there was little lately he wanted to do besides make love to Isabella. It was pretty much all he thought about.

He let out a frustrated sigh and stared up at the ceiling. As much as he was not looking forward to speaking with Carlisle, he couldn't deny how much better he felt after moving forward with Emmett and Rose. Things were still a bit awkward, which was totally understandable considering how things were before, but they had definitely improved. He would take any improvement he could get as far as Carlisle was concerned.

"Edward, are you going to sit and stare at the ceiling all night or do you want to tell me what you need? I've told you plenty of times, I can do many things, but reading your mind is not one of them. What has you so troubled?" Seth patiently asked.

"I don't know where to start. I mean where the hell do I even begin? It's been twenty years...long fucking years. How do we even get past that?" Edward hopelessly questioned.

The gap between them seemed so wide, so unmanageable and Edward was more than a little daunted by the whole thing. Over the years he may have acted like an ass, he may have been on the outside looking in, but at least he and Emmett had some common ground between them. Working together at the office at least kept the door from being firmly closed. Edward may not have walked through it, but he'd always known he could if he had wanted to.

He tried not to think about all the wasted time because there wasn't any point. He needed to focus on the here and now...and now meant Carlisle...no matter how much he wanted to avoid it.

"Edward Anthony," the angel sighed, shaking the windows. "You make it seem like the two of you have spent the last twenty years hating each other. You know as well as I that isn't the case at all. There have been mistakes made, on both your parts, but you must believe that at the very least, he cares about you...just as you do him. Am I wrong in assuming that?" Seth prodded.

If Edward couldn't do this, if he couldn't at least listen to Carlisle, then there was little hope of either one of them ever putting what had happened behind them. If Edward wasn't willing to move past everything and forgive and ask for forgiveness himself, then Seth feared he would fail in his mission.

Sure Edward had found his way back to Isabella, and Emmett and Rose as well, but when the time came, if things stayed as they were, there would be so much lingering pain and sadness that none of them would recover.

Seth refused to allow that to happen.

"Well, he sure never went out of his way to let me know that but yeah, I guess he does. I suppose Esme does as well. Contrary to my behavior, I care about them, too. This is all such a mess," Edward moaned and there was little Seth could say in response to that.

"No joke, but you have time to fix it, Edward. You must," Seth implored.

"Why?" Edward asked. "I know you say it is for my own good, but why is it so important?" When he shrank back from the menacing glare the angel gave him he held his hands up. "I'm not saying I'm not going to try to fix things so stop looking at me like that. I'm just asking. I told you I had questions," Edward huffed in annoyance.

"Boy, I swear you have the most impeccable damn timing of any human I've ever seen," Seth grumped. He'd known this was coming, had been preparing for it as best he could actually. He and Gideon had spent an inordinate amount of time on this very topic.

"Thanks," Edward said sarcastically.

"It wasn't a compliment, Eddie," the angel said with an impressive snort when the exasperating human rolled his eyes at him. "Look, I know there are things we need to discuss, but there isn't enough time right at the moment. Let's concentrate on getting through the rest of the night and then I give you my word, we'll talk."

"Fucking great. Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like what I hear?" Edward asked after he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Seth couldn't help but chuckle at his charge. No one could ever accuse Edward Cullen of being obtuse. Stubborn as all get out, yes, but not stupid.

"Because you won't," the annoying angel said without missing a beat and then disappeared, though it wouldn't be for long.

"Perfect," Edward said with a resigned sigh. He turned to his right and bent down and kissed Isabella quickly on the cheek, having gone much too long without doing so. Just looking at her stirred his ever-present longing and he wanted her...again.

"You hanging in there?" she asked sweetly noticing the dip between his eyebrows had gotten more and more pronounced as the evening wore on.

He leaned in close to her, his warm breath tickling her ear and she had to bite her tongue when she heard the tone of his voice when he said, "I'm just ready to go home. It's been far too long since I've been inside of you."

Isabella instantly squeezed her legs together and practically moaned out loud at the way his voice sounded: low, deep, needy. "Edward," she said on a breathy whisper.

Paying no attention to the others at the table he flicked her earlobe with his tongue. "Isabella," he chuckled darkly. "You're my wife, I love you. I always want to make love to you; it's about all I can do not to throw you down on this table right here and show you how much."

He ran the tip of his finger seductively up and down the sensitive skin on the inside of her arm. "You need to...you're...ah, Edward, stop," Isabella told him, her voice sounding quite torn.

Edward knew he was pushing things, almost to the point of embarrassing her so he backed off, reluctantly. "Fine, Beautiful. Just so you know, we will pick this up at home."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head, her eyes alive and bright with desire for him. Edward took a very uneven breath and then tore his gaze away from her only to find Carlisle staring at him, open-mouthed.

Carlisle was stunned as he stared wide-eyed across the table at his son and daughter-in-law. Well, at least the two people looked like Edward and Isabella, but they sure as hell weren't acting like them, his son most especially. Had he ever seen Edward behave in such a way and be so openly affectionate with Isabella? He quickly thought back over the past few years and with the exception of a few instances he could recall seeing them holding hands or him kiss her cheek, there wasn't anything like he'd just witnessed. _What the hell was going on?_ he thought.

He was about to speak when he was interrupted by Emmett. "So, Bella, you ready to get to work on the new project on Monday?" he asked and Carlisle had to wrack his brain to remember what Emmett was talking about. He remembered Emmett going on and on about some new project at CP but he hadn't paid as close attention as he should have so he was a bit lost.

Isabella smiled in excitement at Emmett. She really couldn't wait to get started. She had to admit the thought of working closely with Edward, Emmett, and the others, while doing something to help the company, filled her with a nervous anticipation, but she was really looking forward to undertaking something new.

"I am. I have a list of preliminary authors already and I've made some notes on some others," she answered him, her smile letting everyone know at the table just how much she was looking forward to getting started.

Edward flushed with pride, not for himself, but for her. He couldn't wait to watch her work, to take an idea and run with it. He had no doubt the whole endeavor would be successful. Between her and Emmett, along with Marcus and Alec, there was little chance of failure.

Emmett gave Bella a wide smile. It was fantastic to see that light in her eyes, and he had to admit, not only was he inordinately proud of himself for coming up with the idea and having the guts to voice it, but he was thrilled beyond words at Edward's enthusiasm.

It was a long time coming and he couldn't be happier.

"Isabella is going to be in charge of a project?" Carlisle asked, not meaning to sound like he was questioning the choice, but from the looks on both his sons' faces, apparently he did just that.

Carlisle didn't have much to do with the day to day operations of Cullen Publishing. He sat on the Board of Directors and participated in shareholder meetings, and left the running of the company to Edward and Emmett. He'd never been interested in the business, but his father left him little choice in what he chose for a career. Once William passed away, Carlisle took the opportunity to step back from CP and focus on the things that mattered to him.

He and Esme were very involved in charitable work and sat on the Boards of many worthwhile causes. The Cullens were an extremely wealthy family, in fact there was more money than any of them could ever spend. There was more money than Jack and Emma's children's children could spend, so he and Esme had set up a foundation. He enjoyed the work, if you could even call it that. Helping people, being a part of doing good works, making things better for people and the environment left him very fulfilled and kept him very busy.

It also kept him out of the loop so to speak as evidenced by his lack of understanding about what Isabella and Emmett were working on.

Edward immediately tensed upon hearing the tone of voice Carlisle used. He barely even registered the fact that not too long ago he had done the exact same thing, but hearing that disbelief from someone else really fucking pissed him off.

"Yes, Carlisle," Edward said in hard voice, "she is. Perhaps if you ever bothered to do more than make an appearance, you'd know what the hell was going on."

Edward pushed away from the table and quickly ran his fingers down Isabella's cheek and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "I need some air," he told her and then stormed out the back door before he said something he'd regret.

Isabella sighed when she heard the door slam shut. _Damn it_ , she thought. He'd done so well today, had seemed to really enjoy himself and then, this.

She pushed away from the table, intending to go to him right away when Carlisle stopped her. "Wait, let me. I'm sorry that sounded the way it did. I hope you know I didn't mean to imply I thought you were incapable, Isabella."

She wanted to be angry at him, and she was a bit peeved that he'd unintentionally ruined a perfect day, but she knew Carlisle hadn't meant anything by what he said.

"Of course not, Carlisle," she said as she blew out a frustrated breath. She still stood up and looked out the window, a frown immediately appearing on her face when she took in Edward's rigid stance.

"Let me talk to him, please," Carlisle asked again and though she really wanted to go to him, she knew that this was an opportunity neither of them could miss.

She nodded her head, not taking her eyes off her husband. "I think that is a good idea," she said at last.

"God damn it all to hell," Edward muttered angrily under his breath and when he heard the snort off to the side, as he knew he would, he didn't even apologize for the inappropriate outburst in front of the present company.

"Edward," the ever-annoying angel sighed mightily.

Edward held up his hand and said, "I know, all right? I know I overreacted; I knew it the second the words left my damn mouth, but I couldn't help it."

Well, that was a change, Seth thought with a start. It wasn't often he was surprised, but Edward had surely managed to do just that. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

He was about to speak when he was interrupted. "Edward?" Carlisle asked hesitantly.

Edward glanced quickly at the heavenly being, needing his reassurance. He didn't have time to think about that, but it was a fact nonetheless.

"Give him a chance, Edward, for your sake as well as his. Just...try," the angel implored.

Edward swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded his head. "You're staying right?" he asked, hating how his voice shook, but he knew he needed Seth close by.

The angel looked at him with a loving and patient glance and said, "Of course, Edward. I'll always be right by your side."

"Carlisle," Edward greeted him in an even voice.

Carlisle approached warily, not wanting to upset Edward any further. He cursed the continual foot-in-mouth disease that only seemed to appear whenever he was in Edward's presence. He had no idea why it seemed like he couldn't ever say the right things. It had always been that way; nothing was ever easy when it came to his relationship with Edward.

"Edward," Carlisle said as he took a deep breath. "You have to know I didn't mean to imply I don't think Isabella is capable of being in charge of a project. I'm sorry it sounded as though I did."

Edward ran a hand through his hair and then looked at him. "Yes, I know. And...well, I'm ah...sorry I overreacted," he stammered out.

The two men stood awkwardly facing one another, each trying to figure out what to say next. When there was so much to say, it was hard sometimes to pick a starting point. Carlisle replayed the words Esme had spoken to him the other day over in his head and he realized that he didn't want things to be the way they were between himself and Edward any longer.

"So, Emmett and Isabella are going to be working on something together?" Carlisle questioned, hoping to break the ice.

Edward recognized at once what Carlisle was doing so he decided to go along with it. Hell, anything was better than standing there staring at each other, he thought with a shake of his head.

"Yes," he answered, "the meetings I had in New York didn't go as well as I'd hoped so we are trying a different tactic. Emmett had a great idea and brought it up at the meeting the other day so we're going to see what happens. I think it will go a long way to help get things turned around. He and Isabella will do a great job and I don't foresee anything but success."

Carlisle couldn't help but notice the way Edward said Isabella's name with pride. Nor did he miss the loving smile that accompanied it. It was certainly a change from past actions, but he was pleased to see it. He motioned toward the patio table and Edward nodded his head. They both took a seat and then Carlisle asked, "Why don't you fill me in on what's been going on?"

Edward looked at him, not trying to hide the surprise on his face in the least.

Carlisle snorted and said, "Edward, CP is important to me, too. You might not believe it, but it is. Maybe I can help?"

Edward stared at him for a few long moments, feeling the angel's unseen prodding. Deciding it really couldn't hurt matters any, he went on to explain pretty much the same thing as he had on Monday at the meeting, expanding on a few points more than before. By the end, Carlisle was blown away by his son's acuity. There was no doubt that William Cullen had taught him well, though Carlisle knew that Edward's success and knowledge was as much natural born as it was learned.

"Well, I have to admit that Emmett's belief that Vincent Sinclair isn't going to know what hit him when he and Isabella get done is right on the money. I think the idea will be a huge hit, Edward. Of course, there are still some areas of vulnerability, as you've already pointed out, but if Emmett and Isabella are as successful as it appears they will be, I think you'll have made it next to impossible for Sinclair Publishing to gain any bigger holding than they already have. In fact, I'd be willing to bet they have some authors and editors jump ship almost from the get go," Carlisle told him with a trademark Cullen smirk.

It seemed as if Edward wasn't the only that enjoyed one-upping his competition.

Edward couldn't help but chuckle at what he had said. "I sure as hell hope so. There are a few more deals that Alec, Marcus, Jasper, and I are working on and as long as they go through without a hitch, the company should be in a good place."

"Your grandfather would be really proud of you, Edward," Carlisle admitted softly after they'd sat in silence for a few minutes. "More than he ever was of me," Carlisle continued.

Edward gasped and quickly looked to his right and was surprised when the angel was looking at him with a knowing look.

"Seems like you both have a few of the same things in common, Edward Anthony. Not that you should be at all surprised by that. You know as well as anyone how difficult a man your grandfather was," Seth said, bracing for what was surely coming next.

He wasn't disappointed.

In the span of about three point two seconds Edward went from surprised to downright enraged...livid.

_**Time seemed to stop.** _

"You've been around all this time?" Edward cried out incredulously as he quickly stood up and paced furiously back and forth.

"Longer," Seth answered immediately and waited for Edward to comprehend what he was saying. When Edward's eyes got as big as saucers, he answered, "Yes, Edward, since then."

"How long?" he demanded hoarsely when he came to an abrupt stop and looked at the angel.

"Since before you left Ireland," Seth answered vaguely.

"How long before I left Ireland?" Edward asked again, anger and fear fighting for dominance.

Seth stared levelly at his very angry and very confused charge and said, "From about the time you were ten."

"But, why are you here now? Why not then?" Edward asked, thoroughly and completely confused, and honestly really fucking angry. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Edward seethed as he clenched his hands into fists so tightly he lost feeling in his fingers.

Seth waited patiently for Edward to get a handle on his temper, which he was satisfied to see happened quicker than anticipated. "Do I look like I'm kidding?" he asked and unleashed a glare that would make most mortal men cower in fear. However, Edward barely even reacted.

"Edward," the otherworldly being sighed, shaking the trees as he floated to where Edward stood breathing heavily in and out. Seth hadn't planned on discussing this particular aspect of things already, especially not right now, but the door had been opened. He knew Edward would never let this go so it was time to face the proverbial music.

Edward shook his head, knowing if he opened his mouth there was no telling what would come out. Holy hell he was angry, so fucking furious.

"Why?" he managed to choke out, meaning so many different things.

"My friend," Seth said in a much gentler tone of voice. Damn, he'd really been hoping for a bit more time to prepare for this. Sure angels possessed abilities humans couldn't even comprehend, but they were not above feeling immense pain when their subjects were hurt. "Edward Anthony, come sit for a moment," he urged. When Edward stubbornly refused to move he tried again. "Please?"

_Jesus_ , Edward thought. He felt like he was coming apart at the seams, like he'd just been turned inside out and then thrown into a fire. He was shaking from feeling so much.

How?

Why?

What did that even mean?

Edward shuffled over to where Seth pointed and fell into the chair in a boneless heap. He honestly didn't think he could take anymore. It had been one damn thing after another ever since the infernal angel popped into his life. Sure he might have been dead right at that moment if it wasn't for said being, but that didn't make having to deal with all this...stuff any freaking easier.

He repeated the words he said just a moment ago when he said, "God damn it all to hell."

Seth waited patiently, hoping that by allowing Edward a few moments to vent it would make the rest of the discussion manageable. He didn't dare say easier because there was nothing about the forthcoming talk that was going to be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it had to be done just the same.

Edward finally raised his eyes to Seth and the angel had to literally take a step back after seeing the agony in them.

Well, not a literal step since the angel floated and glided rather than stepped, but that was really neither here nor there.

"Edward," he began in as gentle a voice as he could muster. Once the angelic presence was confident in his assignment's attention, he proceeded. "Have you ever wondered, and not since I first appeared either, but before that, why someone like Isabella, one who is as loving and good as she is, could fall in love with a man as difficult and stubborn as you?"

Edward wanted to rail against the insult, but the truth of the matter was he _had_ often wondered how in the hell he ever wound up married to Isabella. He knew full well the miserable person he'd been for most of his life. He also was a big enough person to admit, though it was very grudgingly, that while the events that had happened to him all those years ago had scarred him deeply and were horrific in their own right, he was not the only person to have ever faced such hardship in their life. It didn't make it any easier for him to deal with, mind you, but it was the truth just the same.

"Damn, introspection sure sucks ass _,_ " Edward muttered to himself.

Seth waited patiently for Edward to work through whatever was plaguing him at the moment, knowing full well what it was. Self-recriminations weren't pleasant for anyone, for someone like Edward Cullen, they would be positively excruciating.

"I suppose you're going to tell me, or are you going to make me guess?" Edward snapped and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

That same falling apart feeling he'd felt since that cursed plane ride was very much present and accounted for Edward recognized, much to his extreme displeasure.

The angel dismissed his charge's surliness and answered, "Do you think it was just a coincidence that she showed up at the CP offices just as you were in need of an editor?"

The ramifications of what the angel had just said flooded Edward's mind and he paled instantly. "Are you telling me that she was there that day on purpose? What does that even mean? Does she even love me at all, or has it all been against her will?" Edward asked, shocked at the intense pain he felt thinking about such a thing.

Seth sighed, and the sound was as always loud and he was shaking his head before Edward had even finished his litany of questions. "Stop it right this instant, Edward Anthony Cullen," he bellowed. The sound vibrated through Edward as well as the trees around them until the air finally settled.

Edward's mind raced as thoughts of some unknown force pushing him and Isabella unwillingly together swarmed like a school of piranhas attacking its prey.

The exceedingly patient angel pinned him with an intense glare and Edward returned one in kind. After all that he had been through, the thought of Isabella being forced to love him made him physically ill. That there was a possibility that she didn't choose to love him freely was, he thought in an instant, the single worst thing he could imagine.

"Whatever you are thinking, you'd best put a stop to boy, before you give yourself an ulcer or worse. Damn, Edward, you sure know how to jump to conclusions," Seth said with a shake of his head.

Edward continued to stew and glare, not budging even an inch, which caused Seth to take a deep, but quite unnecessary breath. Seth made a Herculean effort to keep his voice from registering the abundant frustration he felt at the moment from eking out. He might have been an otherworldly being sent on a mission to help Edward find redemption and ultimate peace, but that didn't mean he was a saint either.

Edward Anthony Cullen was one of the most infuriating humans he'd ever come across, that was for damn sure.

"Are you going to listen or are you going to sit and let what I say go in one ear and out the other like the stubborn ass you are most of the time?" Seth very succinctly asked and waited until Edward relaxed his rigid posture enough to let him know that he was at least going to hear what the angel had to say.

Twinkling blue eyes held the stare of steely, glinting emerald green ones until the owner of the green ones lowered his with an agitated huff. "Edward, listen to me and listen good because I am only going to say this one time," Seth said severely and waited for the curt nod he was offered before moving on. "Isabella Marie Swan Cullen has never been, nor will she ever be, forced to do anything against her free will by anyone of my kind or higher. She loves you fully and completely, all on her own, because you, my frustrating but deserving friend, are her soul mate. Not everyone in this world is as fortunate as the two of you to find their perfect match, but against all odds you found each other. Did we push her in the right direction? Of course we did. Did we force her to fall in love with you? Absolutely not. Did we force you to hire her, pursue her, and then marry her? No, but we sure enjoyed watching," the angel said with a chuckle.

Seth watched a myriad of expressions cross Edward's face as he digested the news. Shock, anger, skepticism, resignation...hope. The angel was quite pleased with the last one, at least that meant he had some hope of making Edward understand.

"You...people." Edward swallowed. "You didn't make her fall in love with me? You didn't do some weird hypnotic, trance thing? She really loves me?" he questioned desperately.

Seth reached out and placed his hands on Edward's shoulders, hoping that he could feel the truth that emanated from his being. "Yes, Edward. Isabella fully and truly loves you. She always has, from the very first moment, just as you have, her. It most definitely is not in our nature to do such a thing and we couldn't, even if we'd wanted to. We guide, Edward, but you humans always have your own free will. Her love for you is real, my friend."

Edward sighed deeply, relieved more than he could express. He really would have been done for if that wouldn't have been the case. He loved her, so very much, and his heart would have been shattered beyond repair if somehow her love for him wasn't real.

"I don't understand," Edward said quietly.

The angel arranged himself in the seat beside Edward and looked at him tenderly. "We guided her to you because you needed her," he answered simply. "I told you, Edward, Isabella was a gift, and I meant it. You've had many hardships in your life, have suffered through traumas that would have slayed most people. Those things made you into the person you are now...scared to trust others, afraid of being hurt by those you love, and it was our hope that once she found her way to you, her love and her faith would give you the courage and the strength you needed to move past all that. That you would finally realize you are worth loving."

"I've wasted so damn much time," Edward said on a sob. His shoulders shook and he couldn't stop the torrent of tears that sprung forth. "I don't want to die, not when I've just come to understand what it means to love her, fully and completely. Not when I've managed to get another chance with my brother and Rose and the kids. Not when I've realized all I've missed. Please? I'll do anything... just...what can I do?" Edward begged.

For the first time since the angel's appearance, Edward was going to beg. He was going to beg and beg...and then beg some more. There had to be something he could do, some promise he could make, anything, as long as it gave him more time. More time to love her, more time to show her how much she meant to him, more time to try to make up for all the times he'd hurt her.

More time...it was all he wanted.

Seth had tried to prepare himself for this moment, for he knew it would come eventually. He was shocked it had taken Edward this long. Edward was used to getting his way, was used to using his commanding presence to bend others to his will.

Unfortunately he wouldn't succeed this time.

The angel moved so that he could wrap Edward in a healing embrace, letting Edward absorb the comfort he was offering him. Neither spoke, there wasn't a reason to. Seth knew that Edward understood what he was asking was impossible, no matter how much he wished it wasn't so. Things just didn't work that way.

After a few more moments, Edward was able to reign in his despair. He took a very uneven breath and then looked toward Seth, wiping his tear-stained face with his hands. "I can't do anything, can I?" Edward futilely asked one last time.

"I'm afraid not, Edward. I wish I could grant you what you wish, but it's not in my power to do so," the otherworldly being answered honestly.

"It seems so unfair to Isabella. To make her see how much I've always loved her, to work to get her forgiveness, only to die and leave her alone."

"Edward, let me ask you a question and then we must concentrate on Carlisle," Seth began. "Knowing everything you do about your lovely wife, how do you think she would have spent the rest of her days if you hadn't succeeded in finding your way back to her. If the end came and she didn't know you truly loved her?"

Edward thought about the question for a moment, but he didn't really need to. He unequivocally knew the answer. "She'd blame herself and be miserable."

"She would, without a doubt. She'd spend every day wishing she had done more, prayed more, tried harder. She'd wonder every day what she could have done differently. Do you really think she'd be better off living like that or living without you knowing that you two truly loved each other and that the last however many days were spent happily?"

"Obviously the second answer," Edward muttered somewhat grudgingly. "I get it, okay? Of course I don't want her to be unhappy. I don't ever want her to be sad or hurt or unhappy ever again. Isabella has been through enough because of me, she doesn't deserve anymore."

Edward sighed again, really wanting nothing more than to be at home, with his wife next to him in bed. He wanted to feel her body next to his, feel her soft hair between his fingers. He wanted to be able to look into her eyes and see her love for him and hope she could see the same in return.

He looked around, wondering for the umpteenth time what kind of ability it was that allowed him to be able to speak to the angel while everything around them seemed to stand still. Then again, he didn't really want to know. His eyes fell on Carlisle and he knew they needed to finish their discussion before he had any hope of going home with Isabella.

"Am I ever going to find out how you manage all this?" Edward asked with a wave of his hand, indicating Carlisle's still form and then the two of them.

The smug angel chuckled loudly, the sound similar to cymbals. "Not a chance, Eddie, my boy. Even for one as brilliant as you, it's too much to be able to grasp. I've got your back though, no worries. No one knows any different when I appear and no one will be looking at you like you've lost your mind. Well...at least not because of me," he finished with a sharp clap of his large hands.

"Nice to know," Edward grunted as he ran his hands through his hair.

Shit, he needed a stiff drink, a hot shower, and hours in bed with a very much naked Isabella. He wasn't sure it needed to be in that order either.

Seth looked at Edward, feeling his heart ache for all that he had to have been feeling just then. With the tenderest of voices he said, "Edward, I realize that telling you before how long we've been watching was probably not the best timing, but I feel it's really important for you to understand that we led Isabella to you when we did because it was time. You'd spent far too many years wallowing in guilt and pain and if we'd waited any longer, even she wouldn't have been able to reach you and you would have been lost forever. I know it's hard to comprehend, but you need to know that we are sent to help our charges when it's most necessary."

"I'm having a really fucking hard time understanding that," Edward said evenly.

Seth sighed; he knew to expect that reaction as well. Edward was extremely good at compartmentalizing. "I know you are, Edward, and I expect that we'll have to revisit this topic again in the very near future. My friend," the angel said as he floated and stopped in front of him. "I know right now you are confused, hurt, and probably really angry. I also know that it would be easier for you to tell Isabella first about Liam and Maggie and what happened when Carlisle and Esme took you in before attempting to talk with them. You just need to open the door so that when the time comes, you'll all be ready. I've pushed you to face your past, and it's still imperative that you do so, but telling her first will go a long way in easing your pain."

Edward took a few deep breaths, feeling the frazzled thoughts in his brain calm just a bit as he thought about Isabella. "Isabella is the most important person in my life; I would never talk to them without telling her first. I owe it to her and she deserves to know after everything I've put her through. I might not have ever admitted it out loud, but I've damn sure known all along that we were meant for each other. She's the only thing that has ever made sense."

Seth had been watching Edward long enough to know he was at his limit of what he could deal with. The angel knew he wasn't out of the woods yet, but Edward was liable to put those walls back up if pushed any farther right now. Seth couldn't risk losing him when he'd already come so far so he was going to back off, for the time being.

There was still time.

"You got the rest of this or do you need me to stay?" He would stay by Edward's side as long as he was needed, but he had a feeling Edward needed Isabella more than he needed his presence.

Edward snickered, though he sure didn't find anything funny about the present situation. "No, I'm fine...or well, as fine as I can be. Damn, I'm really fucking exhausted."

"You've had a hell of a day, my young friend. Finish your discussion with Carlisle and then let your wife take care of you. She's very anxious to get you home, too. She needs you as much as you need her, Edward. Never forget that," Seth reminded him and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered.

_**Time moved again.** _

Isabella stared out the window, watching for the slightest sign of discomfort from Edward. The moment she saw it, she would be out the door and by his side. She was NOT letting anything set him back, not if she had anything to say about it. He looked a bit stressed, but that was to be expected all things considered. There was no way the conversation was going to be particularly pleasant for either of them, but it had to be done. With a heavy sigh, she decided to leave him be for the time being, hoping she was doing the right thing. She didn't want to, but she knew the two of them needed to talk.

She spent the time helping Rose get Jack and Emma ready for bed and visiting with Emmett about the new proposal. She didn't say much to Esme, and though she felt bad about that, she didn't feel bad enough to try to talk with her. Until she knew Edward was going to be okay, she didn't feel the need to try to make nice with her mother-in-law. It wasn't the nicest thing to do, she was well aware of that and it really went against her nature, but when something hurt Edward she couldn't really help it.

He was her Edward.

Edward quickly recalled where his conversation with Carlisle stopped...with William. He couldn't help but shake his head at the whole bizarre way things just picked up, as if the past however many minutes he'd spent with the angel hadn't just happened. Minutes he most definitely would have to think about later.

Carlisle shifted in his seat, as if he'd been in the same position for too long and stared at Edward. He looked quite worn out, he noticed. It seemed like he'd changed right before his eyes.

"Grandfather wouldn't ever admit it, even if he was," Edward remarked, picking up their discussion.

Carlisle was a bit surprised to hear the trace of bitterness that was just beneath the surface. He'd been positive his father and Edward had a solid and companionable relationship with each other. To hear Edward sound so...lonely...tore at his heart.

"He was a difficult man to be sure," Carlisle began. "I don't know how you managed to spend so much time with him."

"It was easier to be around him than the rest of you. I was used to it. You, Esme, and Emmett...I hadn't ever been in a nurturing environment like that; I didn't know how to handle it," Edward said softly.

Carlisle sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly understanding more than he ever had. "But, Edward...you always seemed...I can't say happy...but maybe content...when you were with William," he stammered as his mind raced.

Edward bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hung his head wearily. "Carlisle, I know I haven't been exactly forthcoming... hell that's a fucking understatement, and I owe you and Esme an explanation, as painful as it will be. But, for the time being, suffice it to say that my life before you and Esme took me in was incredibly lonely and...hard," he said as he swallowed thickly. "Being around Grandfather, as cold and detached as he was, was easier for me. I could relate to him in a way I couldn't with the rest of you. Was I hiding? Sure I was, but at fourteen, fifteen, it was all I knew. I've just come to understand how much my actions back then hurt all of you, and how they continued to hurt you as time went on. I know we have a lot we need to talk about to get the air cleared, but frankly, I can't do it tonight," he finished, relieved to finally get at least that much out in the open.

Carlisle was stunned, though he had to say not all that surprised. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Liam and/or Maggie had done something, or Edward had been through something, that caused him to act as he had. He suddenly felt very ashamed of himself, and quite honestly his father as well, for not doing more to reach Edward when he'd first come to live with them. Carlisle knew he had as much, if not more, to apologize for than Edward did. Edward was a young teenager when they'd taken him in, he was the adult. He knew without a doubt he'd failed his son, failed to help him overcome whatever trauma had happened to him. He'd let his stubborn pride get in the way of doing the right thing by his newly adopted son.

He wouldn't blame Edward if he never forgave him. He wasn't sure he deserved it.

"Edward, I," Carlisle began then took a deep breath. He shifted in his seat and then began again. "I hope we can find some time soon to talk. It seems as if there is a lot I've misunderstood. If I ever made you feel like you weren't wanted or if I pushed you away, I'm so sorry. If you're willing to talk with Esme and me, I can assure you we'll be here whenever you are ready."

"Thank you," Edward said quietly, letting out a relieved breath. He glanced toward the house and found Isabella watching him from the window, obviously very worried about him judging from the way her eyes connected with his and the way she bit her bottom lip.

He needed her. God help him, he needed her.

"I would like that. It's been a long time coming," Edward said as he stood up, itching to run to her.

Carlisle looked back at the house as well and then back at Edward. "Go, son. She was very worried about you. Thank you for talking with me," he finished, his heart though heavy with regret, a bit lighter with the thought that there was hope for them yet.

Edward flashed his wife what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning to Carlisle. Not taking the time to think about it, he stepped forward and quickly hugged him. Carlisle gasped in surprise but took an extra second to squeeze him before lightly patting his back.

"Thank you," Carlisle choked out. "We'll see you soon."

Edward nodded and then practically ran back to the house, his body quivering with his need to hold her and have her arms around him as well.

The second Edward began walking toward the house, Isabella was moving. She threw open the back door and stumbled down the steps in her haste to get to him. As soon as her feet hit the patio, she was engulfed in Edward's strong arms.

"Isabella," he managed to say. He didn't even try to mask how much he needed her. He kissed her, everywhere he could reach. The top of her head, her cheeks, her forehead, before he finally found his way to her soft lips. He kissed her until he felt himself forget about everything except for her.

She clutched at him, hanging on to him as tightly as she could, as if she were afraid he'd slip away if she let go. She could hear him mumbling incoherently in her ear, felt him shake in her arms and she was ready to go home.

"Shh, sweetheart. Let's go say goodbye to everyone and then we can go home. I think we've both had about all the family time we can handle for one day, don't you?" she teased him with a soft chuckle.

He picked his head up from where he had laid it on her shoulder. "As always, Beautiful, you are correct." He smiled at her, thankful that she once again managed to know exactly what he needed. He still felt like he was drowning and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep his head above water.

So much to think about...later.

She started to walk back to the house when he pulled her to a stop. She turned and looked at him, her eyes growing wide as she took in how nakedly vulnerable he looked.

"Edward?" she questioned with alarm.

"Tell me you love me," he said in a desperate voice. "God, just...tell me you love me...please."

She answered him instantly, not even questioning why he sounded the way he did or why he needed her to say it. It didn't matter. "I love you, Edward. Today, tomorrow...always. I'll always love you."

He exhaled deeply, letting her words wash over him. "I love you," he breathed out.

Isabella felt her heart soar at his words and then she made the mistake, well not really a mistake, of looking into his eyes. It only inflamed the fire that had been burning between them all day. His green eyes blazed...love, want, need...blatant and raw exuded out of them and she wanted him with the same ferocity.

"Home, Edward. I want to go home...with you...now."

He nodded. They quickly said goodbye to first Jack and Emma who had been waiting not very patiently for their Uncle Edward. After promising them both he would see them as soon as he could, Edward and Isabella said their farewells to the others. Hugs and kisses for Emmett and Rose, a kiss for Esme, and an awkward, but heartfelt hug for Carlisle.

The drive home to their house was spent in a charged silence, neither wanting to break whatever spell had surrounded them. Edward parked his car in the garage and hastily opened Isabella's door, pulling her out and up into his arms before the automatic garage door even had a chance to close behind them.

Wordlessly he carried her through the house and up to their bedroom and laid her on their bed. He moved to lay on top of her but Isabella was having none of that, not this time.

She moved so that she was kneeling in front of him. She reached up and held his gorgeous face in her small hands and said, "I'm taking care of you, my beloved husband." She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him tenderly, running her thumbs over his cheeks.

She turned them so that his back faced the headboard. Reaching down, she gripped his shirt and lifted it off him, immediately bending down to kiss his chest above his rapidly beating heart. "I love you, Edward," she whispered reverently.

Gently, she pushed him down on the bed. She took her time unbuttoning his jeans, savoring the feel of his warm skin beneath her fingertips. She pushed them along with his boxers down his legs. She couldn't help but stare at him, laying there naked on the bed, for her.

He was hers.

She was his.

She quickly undressed, quite enjoying the way his eyes roved her body, hungrily and possessively. She crawled on the bed and covered his body with hers. She kissed every inch of him: along his jaw, down his neck, across his chest, down his stomach, along the inside of his thighs, behind his knees and even down to the tops of his feet, all the while whispering words of love and devotion.

Then, she went back up again, only this time she stopped and took him in her mouth.

Edward was lost, completely gone in a sea of overwhelming sensations. Ecstasy, passion, need and everything in between, so palpable the room was practically alive with it all.

He closed his eyes, letting himself go completely and surrendered to his wife. As she took him higher and higher until he released in a powerful torrent into her mouth, he thought he'd never felt anything so powerful, so all-encompassing in his life.

He was wrong.

Isabella freed him from her mouth with a kiss and then agilely and effortlessly straddled him and slid down his hardened length.

Connected as they were, Edward looked up into the warm, loving eyes of his amazing wife. His Isabella.

"Mine," he whispered.

As she moved above him, she laid her hand over his heart and whispered back, "Yours."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Everyone take a deep breath and remember my promise of a HEA, okay? Have faith, I promise! I know seeing Edward beg was hard, but, you can't be surprised he tried it. And, poor Seth. You know he didn't like that anymore than Edward did. The hard conversations are coming, there is just a lot to get through first. I'm not trying to drag it out! Next chapter is my favorite one so far (well 16 is pretty great, too) and I think you'll all really like it, too! Lots of Charlie, Renee' and Nonna, not mention Seth is in rare form.**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab! Laurel made a beautiful one for Chapter 14, which will be the first part of Isabella's birthday and there are some pictures of her gifts as well under the story images. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I've answered a couple questions it seems lots of you have had, and I'll be happy to answer any more.**

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**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see Seth and Gideon. Our favorite angel is going to need some guidance and some comfort, it wasn't any easier for him to have that conversation than it was for Edward. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

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	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

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**Now…on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 14**

"You okay there, Eddie?" the angel teased, quite enjoying his assignment's current predicament.

Edward huffed loudly in annoyance at the merciless teasing the angel had been subjecting him to for the past few days. As if he didn't have enough shit to worry about? Between all that dying business, on top of getting Isabella's and Emmett's project off and running, and coming to terms with the revelations about Seth and 'the others' watching him, it had been a hell of a few weeks.

Seth's appearances had been a bit sporadic, though Edward knew he was always watching. It still amazed him how easy it was to accept that and go on about his business. He wasn't sure, exactly, what that meant in the grand scheme of things, and frankly he didn't much care. All he knew was he was happier than he'd ever imagined he could be and spent every day determined to move forward.

And, well, today forward meant dinner with the Swans.

"No, damn it, I'm not doing okay! Do I look like I'm doing okay?" Edward practically shrieked as he flailed his hand around in a wide circular motion.

Seth let out an exasperated breath and shook his head. For days now Edward had been working himself up into a tizzy over the impending dinner with Isabella's family and for the life of him he didn't understand it. Surprisingly both Charlie and Renée as well as Isabella's Nonna, Gianna, all liked Edward. Sure they didn't spend as much time with them as they would have liked and admittedly they didn't know him as well as they should seeing as he was married to their daughter, but all in all they liked him just fine.

Isabella was happy, or at least she appeared to be in their presence, and that was all that mattered to them.

"Boy, I swear you are the most dramatic human I've ever come across. Do you need some of my angelic 'mumbo jumbo' as you keep calling it to help calm your ass down or do you think you can manage to bring it down a notch or two on your own?" Seth remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Edward groaned and then pulled at his hair before flinging himself on his bed.

"I'm really fucking nervous about going over there, okay?" Edward said sharply, trying to take a few deep breaths to get control of his erratic heartbeat. "I don't want to fuck things up."

"Edward," the angel said with a shake of his head.

Good Lord, the man would drive him to drink...if angels partook of such things.

As it was, the human tested his limits daily, a fact of which Gideon and the others were made well aware of...repeatedly.

Edward didn't move and he didn't speak for a few moments while he let his mind wander over the past few weeks. Ever since the dinner at Rose and Em's and the subsequent unforgettable night at home with Isabella, things had settled into somewhat of a routine. He couldn't help the deep rumble of pleasure that went through his chest when he thought about that night and the next morning as well.

They had spent countless hours loving and worshiping each other's bodies. When he thought neither one of them could possibly go on, they did. It seemed as if the two of them were unable to sever the connection that had enveloped them. He had never experienced anything that powerful or all-consuming in his life, not even the brief glimpse of the peace Seth had shown him on the plane that he'd be granted if he was successful in doing what the angel asked of him could compare to that. What had happened to him and Isabella that night wasn't even in the same stratosphere.

It was everything.

The way she looked when she moved above him; the way she soothed every part of his soul with her touch and her words; the way she took complete control of him and loved him, every part of him, was an experience he wouldn't ever forget. Not in however much time he had left and he knew without a doubt he'd been irrevocably changed.

Forever...or however you wanted to say it.

Whatever awaited him when his time was up, he was positive she would always be a part of him, just as he would be a part of her. He knew Isabella loved him, but after that night, any lingering doubt he had floated away.

He wasn't a perfect man, not by any stretch of the imagination. He still worked later some nights than he should have. He still got wrapped up in business talk with Marcus, Alec, and Jasper. He still forgot at times to say thank you and good morning to Donna and Peter. He still said very little about his birth parents; a fact of which Edward knew was coming to end in the not so distant future.

But, he was trying.

Which brought him to his nervousness about the upcoming dinner. He didn't want to make a mistake and he didn't want to do or say anything that would upset his wife. He knew how much she'd been looking forward to this dinner and all he wanted to do was get through the night without making an ass out of himself.

"You want to tell me why you think dinner with Isabella's family is any different from dinner with your own?" Seth questioned. He had a feeling he knew what the answer was, after all he was an all-knowing being, but he wanted to hear Edward say it.

Eh, maybe that made him a bit of a pain in the ass, but Edward just made it too damn easy sometimes.

Edward huffed again, not sure if he could put what he was feeling into words. He was nervous as hell, but he was excited, too. He was, unexpectedly, really looking forward to spending time with Charlie and Renée...and Nonna. He felt odd using that term for her, but she wouldn't have it any other way. When he and Isabella had first started dating and he was introduced to her family, he tried to call her Mrs. Santoro, but she wouldn't even answer him when he did so. He changed tactics and tried just saying ma'am, to no avail. So, Nonna she was.

He had to admit, the woman was certainly something else.

She was unlike any person he'd ever met before. He saw a lot of her in Isabella, the way she was so loving and so loyal and he had to say, the way her temper appeared out of nowhere. Isabella definitely learned her feistiness from a pro, that was for sure. Of course, Edward also had to acknowledge she'd never been anything but warm and welcoming to him. There wasn't one time he could remember her being anything less than sweet and sincere, even those times when he knew he didn't deserve it.

Being around the Swan family had been even harder for him than his own family in many ways. The Swans loved boisterously, openly, and that was difficult for him to handle. Oh, he'd soaked it up, not that anyone could tell, however. As different as Isabella's family was from his own, both past and present, he felt nothing but happy and grateful that Isabella had grown up in such a loving and nurturing environment.

"Her family is just so different from mine," Edward stated, finally answering the angel's question.

Seth merely snorted, choosing not to comment on the obvious. Instead he prodded, "And that means what exactly?"

"Hell if I know," Edward said evasively.

"Edward."

Edward growled and then bit out, "Fine. I don't want them to hate me. Happy now?"

"Look, my friend, let's be clear about something, shall we? You've been a really shitty husband the last five years; you know this, I know this, Isabella knows this. Fortunately for you, no one else really does. You're lovely wife," Seth said and Edward rolled his eyes when the angel person did his usual fanboy sigh when his wife was mentioned, "has the patience of a saint. She is as loyal as a guard dog about you and your marriage so luckily for you Charlie Swan doesn't know much of anything. In your case the saying 'what he doesn't know won't hurt you' is nothing but the truth. I can do a lot, but stopping a bullet isn't one of them."

Actually, it kind of was, but Edward didn't need to know that.

"Fuck," Edward muttered under his breath and felt his stomach twist in knots at the thought of Isabella's imposing father.

The angel laughed heartily at his assignment's face. The poor guy looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. Seth knew he could help calm him, but he felt it was rather appropriate that Edward be a bit uncomfortable, at least for awhile. If he wasn't so sure of the welcome Edward would receive from the Swans, he might be inclined to offer some angelic comfort, but he knew they'd be nothing but happy to see him.

Seth gleefully admitted to having a bit of a vindictive streak, especially when it came to Isabella.

He loved Edward, he couldn't help it, and he'd tried...Lord knew he tried...but the guy was just so damn endearing he couldn't help himself. Angels were built to love, it was part of their makeup, obviously. Edward Cullen might be his most challenging assignment to date, hell he'd probably be the most challenging one ever, but he'd also be his greatest accomplishment as well.

He hoped anyway.

But, well, Isabella was...Isabella.

Enough said.

Speaking of, because she was about to check on her husband, Seth figured it was time for him to leave his charge in her very capable hands. "Eddie, cut the crap and suck it up. If you allow yourself, you might find you'll enjoy your evening. I'll be watching. You know if you need me, I'll be there," he said then disappeared.

"Damn meddlesome, wife-ogling, pain in the ass seraph," Edward muttered right as Isabella entered the bedroom.

They hadn't spent a night apart since 'that' first night, though they'd yet to do anything that made the move permanent. Most of her things were still in the room down the hall, but he planned to change that travesty in the very immediate future. He only hoped she would appreciate the gesture.

"Edward, sweetheart," Isabella said and then her voice trailed off as she stared, wide-eyed at her half-dressed husband. He hadn't buttoned his shirt yet, and his black dress pants were still unzipped. She gulped as she took in his sculpted chest covered with a smattering of hair, his incredibly toned stomach, and Lord help her, that trail of light-colored hair that dipped so damn sexily beneath the waistband of his underwear.

Damn, she was a lucky woman.

She had to chuckle when she thought about the other women that worked at CP. It was true that she wasn't in the office all day every day, though that would be changing as she and Emmett continued their project, but she was sure there often enough to hear what was said about her husband. It had been that way for years actually, and in all honesty it had never bothered her. Edward was an extraordinarily good-looking man she was proud to say. He was tall, had piercing green eyes, a chiseled jaw that would make any woman swoon, not to mention his hair. So soft and always in such disarray, it was no wonder the comments she heard ran the gamut of sweet all the way to downright raunchy and vulgar.

However, since his epiphany a few weeks ago, the aura that had always surrounded him was even more pronounced. He smiled; he greeted his employees and colleagues warmly; he joked and made small talk; he looked and was happy. That, of course, just made him even more irresistible. The poor women in the office didn't know what hit them. They fawned all over him, not to mention threw themselves at him on practically a daily basis. She couldn't really blame them, but it didn't mean she had to like it either.

In fact, she didn't like it one little bit.

He was her Edward, damn it, the one she'd clawed and fought for and she'd be damned if anyone tried to take him away from her. Not that she was worried, because for one, the man couldn't keep his hands off her no matter where they were, and that included the office. Secondly, he looked at her in a way that made her knees weak and made her heart stutter. And thirdly, to go along with the way he looked at her, was the smile he had that was solely hers. It was a cross between needy and loving, with a hint of vulnerability and of course some naughtiness thrown in for good measure.

Kind of like the way he was smiling at her now.

"Sorry, Beautiful," he said with a shrug of his shoulders as she approached him.

Her stomach did that fluttery thing it always did when he said that word, that way, in that voice. She tossed her black peacoat on the bed and walked toward him, never taking her eyes off him. She shook her head at his apology, as it wasn't needed. She stopped in front of him, and gathered the material of the sky blue shirt he was wearing in her hands and slowly began to button his shirt for him. She purposely let her fingertips slide over his chest and she let out a giggle when he growled at her.

"Isabella, love, if you keep that up, we'll never make it on time for dinner," he warned.

"Keep what up?" she impishly asked, though they were both well aware of what she was doing to him.

She reached down and grabbed the flaps of his dress pants and she might have intentionally scraped her fingernail across the front of the growing bulge in his underwear.

"Evil woman," he hissed as she tucked his shirt in and zipped his pants up. She fastened the button and then the belt, smiling smugly when she watched him swallow convulsively and heard him breathe heavily.

Once she had him all buttoned up and ready, she patted his chest. "Come on, husband of mine, let's get a move on before Mama starts calling, wondering where we are."

Edward sighed, trying to will himself to move. He gave her a lopsided smirk and said, "Well, we can't have that now can we? Besides, when we continue this game you've started, I have no intention of being interrupted...for a very long time."

He picked her coat up off the bed, appreciating how incredibly beautiful she looked. She had on a black and white print skirt that hugged her in all the right places and was short enough to show off her toned legs, especially because she was wearing a pair of sexy as fuck black heels. The black sweater she wore was just tight enough so that her breasts looked spectacular. Her hair was down, styled so that it was a mess of curls, though she had pulled part of it up and was clipped at the back of her head. Her makeup was minimal as always and in her ears were the simple, but exquisite diamond studs he had given her for her wedding present.

They were flawless, much like the woman that wore them with such grace.

He held the coat for her, slipping it around her delicate shoulders. He couldn't resist kissing her, so he carefully pushed her hair to the side and placed a warm, lingering, open-mouthed kiss behind her ear. "You look exceptionally beautiful tonight, Isabella," he whispered huskily.

"Edward," she breathed out.

He spun her around and nuzzled her neck. "I know, Beautiful, I know. Let's get out of here before neither one of us is able to think clearly."

She nodded her head, looking as torn as he was. "Tonight, Isabella," he promised her.

The drive to Wheaton went by quickly and they filled the time talking about the office and the project. Isabella had gotten her list ready for their first meeting. Surprisingly, none of the others even questioned her selections, even the ones that were not obvious. It made her a bit nervous to see them put so much faith in her decisions, but it also gave her a much deserved boost of confidence.

Edward smiled as he listened to his wife excitedly speak about the next phase of the campaign. He couldn't help but revel in the fact that the announcement of CP's newest venture coincided perfectly with the opening of the opera season. It gave him great pleasure to not only be able to show off his incredibly beautiful and talented wife, but to rub it in Vincent Sinclair's face at the same time.

He was counting down the days.

Hell, he figured if his days were numbered, he might as well make the best of them, and Sinclair, the son of a bitch, had it coming to him.

He also knew that it was time to have a talk with Isabella about...Anna Davenport. Thinking her name gave him chills, but he owed it to his wife to tell her everything. It wouldn't be easy, but he had done enough thinking since the aggravating angel appeared to realize he had as much fault in what had happened as Anna did. Apologizing to her would suck, big time, but he had hurt her. She'd hurt him as well, but he was under no illusion about his ex-girlfriend. It would be a cold day in hell before she ever admitted any wrongdoing, but as Seth had told him, all he could do was apologize for his mistakes. What she chose to do with it, was totally up to her.

He sighed and Isabella squeezed his hand. "Is everything okay, Edward?" she asked sweetly and all thoughts of Vincent and Anna vanished.

He parked the car in front of the Swans' house and then turned to look at her. "Just perfect, love."

He grabbed the bottles of wine they brought to have with dinner then got out. He walked around the car and opened her door and helped her up, giving her a quick kiss once she stood.

"Bambola!" Charlie bellowed happily when he flung the door open.

She let out the most adorable squeak, ever, and Edward smiled and let go of her hand so she could go to her father.

"Dad!"

Edward had the strangest, though not unwelcome nor unpleasant, feeling wash over him as he watched father and daughter hug affectionately.

"Bella, you look so pretty," Charlie said with a smile only a father could have for his daughter. "Edward, good to see you, son," he said to Edward as he followed behind. Edward shook his father-in-law's hand vigorously, relieved to be welcomed so graciously.

"Hi, Charlie. Good to see you, too. And I agree. Isabella looks beautiful tonight, not that she doesn't always."

Charlie watched with an amused, and he had to say, pleased smile when his daughter looked at her husband as if he had hung the moon. It had been a while since he'd seen her look so radiant, and whatever the reason for it, he couldn't be happier.

"Well, come on you two, no sense standing around on the porch when there is food and drink...and cake to eat inside," he said and winked at Edward.

"Dad! I told Mama no cake," Isabella huffed and Edward couldn't help but snicker at her.

"Bella, you know your mother. Once that woman gets an idea in her head, there's no changing her mind. Stubborn as a damn ox I tell ya," Charlie muttered as he ushered them all into the house.

"Charles Alan Swan, I heard that," Renée said as she walked out of the kitchen, scowling at her husband. She walked right past him and headed straight for her daughter. She almost did a double take when she took in how happy she looked. Isabella positively glowed and for the briefest of seconds it brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly stopped them.

"Bella, baby, you look amazing! Happy early birthday!" she exclaimed happily and giggled when her daughter rolled her eyes at her. "Oh you stop it now, birthdays are meant to be celebrated," she teased and then kissed her on the cheek.

"Mama, I told you no cake," Isabella complained, again. "I'm turning thirty, not thirteen for heaven's sake."

"Edward, tell my daughter that you're never too old to celebrate a birthday." Renée laughed then threw her arms around him, kissing him soundly on the cheek.

No one could ever describe the Swans as subdued.

Dutifully Edward turned toward Isabella and said, "Love, you're never too old to celebrate a birthday." He didn't even flinch when she glared at him, only because the corners of her mouth lifted almost immediately.

"Fine. You just remember that when it's your birthday, sweetheart," she answered him with a wicked smile. "You will be turning thirty-six, you know."

His stomach twisted painfully when he thought about the fact that there was a very good possibility that he wouldn't see his next birthday, but he pushed that thought far away.

Tonight was not the time to wallow. Tonight was for celebrating his love's birthday and he was determined to do just that.

"Oh, Renée. We brought these to go with dinner," Edward said as he handed her the bottles of wine he'd taken from the wine cellar.

Renée couldn't help the shocked sound that escaped her lips at the exceedingly sweet gesture. In all the time Edward and Isabella had been married she couldn't recall him ever doing anything similar. "Thank you, Edward. What a sweet thing to do. I'll go get the wine glasses and let you have the honor of pouring when it's time to eat," she said and then kissed him quickly on the cheek.

"Beautiful, let me take your coat," Edward said softly once all the greetings were out of the way and Renée had gone back into the kitchen.

He helped her take her coat off and then ran his hand gently down the side of her face.

Christ, he loved her.

"I'm going to go help Mama in the kitchen. Will you be okay for a few minutes?" she asked him, quietly, but loud enough for Charlie to hear.

"Bella, I don't bite you know. Shoo, go help your Mama and let me and my son-in-law visit for a bit. I haven't seen him in quite awhile," Charlie told her.

He could tell there was something going on, he wasn't the Chief of Police for nothing. His daughter was happier than he'd ever seen her and Edward, well, it was almost like he was a different person.

Isabella gave one last smile to Edward before she went to find her mother and Nonna.

Charlie watched Edward as he stared at Bella while she walked away, looking about as pathetic as a man could get. "Son, she's only going to be in the next room." Charlie chuckled at him.

Edward looked flustered for a moment and then blew out a tension relieving breath. "Yes, I know. So, Charlie, how are things at work?" Edward asked.

Charlie decided to go along with Edward for the time being, only because the poor guy was wound up tighter than a drum. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why that was, and while every father-in-law liked to needle their son-in-laws from time to time, Charlie figured now was probably not the best time to test that theory.

"They're just fine, Edward. Thanks for asking. I've been training a new deputy, which you know as well as I, has its moments, but I can't complain much. How about you, how are things in the big world of publishing?" Charlie asked him.

About that time Isabella walked into the living room carrying two beers for her two favorite men.

"Thanks, Bambola. Tell your Mama to hurry it up in there, a man could starve to death waiting out here," Charlie told his daughter affectionately when she kissed the top of his head.

She turned and handed the other beer to her husband, noticing immediately that though he wasn't what you would call relaxed, he seemed to have at least calmed down a bit since they'd arrived. "Here, sweetheart. Dinner won't be much longer."

"Thank you, love. Do you need help with anything?" Edward asked graciously, and was rewarded with a sweet, soft smile.

"We've got it. You relax," she told him and then blew him a kiss before returning to the kitchen.

Charlie watched the brief, but very touching, and he had to say very intimate, exchange between the two. Edward had always been a bit standoffish, ever since the first time Bella had brought him home to introduce him to her family. In all the time they had been married and in the few and far between visits Edward had paid to his home, he wasn't sure he could ever recall either of them being so openly affectionate with each other.

Not that he wasn't inordinately pleased to see it, mind you or that radiant smile on her face.

"She seems extremely happy. Any particular reason why?" Charlie casually asked, though there was nothing casual about the question at all.

Edward took a long pull on his beer trying to decide how to answer the question. He groaned and internally cursed the annoying but ever-present being, for he knew he was quite enjoying his current predicament. He knew it was his mess and he needed to clean it up, but that didn't mean the angel needed to enjoy it quite so much, did it?

Edward cleared his throat a few times and shifted in his seat on the sofa, using those few precious seconds to try to get what he wanted to say in some sort of order.

"Charlie, ah..." Edward began and then coughed. "I love Isabella very much."

Charlie chuckled and said, "Yes, Edward, it's rather obvious."

Edward blew out a painful breath and decided to just dive head first into the conversation. He respected Charlie immensely, perhaps more than just about any other man he'd ever met and he wanted to earn that same respect back. Pussyfooting around and trying to make things not sound as bad as they had been was taking the coward's way out, and he wasn't going to do that any longer.

"Charlie, the truth of the matter is this. I have been a poor excuse of a husband for most of the past five years. I worked longer hours than I needed to, spent more time away from home than was necessary, and did a damn fine job of keeping Isabella from getting too close to me. I've loved her from the very first moment we met, but until very recently, I did everything within my power not to let her see that. I've made her cry, I've hurt her, and I'm more sorry for that than you can ever possibly imagine. For some reason, she's willing to give me another chance. I'm not stupid enough to not realize that I don't deserve it, but I give you my word, I'm going to spend every day trying to be worthy of her," Edward finished with a shaky voice.

Edward hung his head, relieved more than he could possibly believe to get that out in the open. He expected Charlie to rant and rave. He expected to be threatened within an inch of his life. Charlie Swan did neither.

"Edward, son, look at me," Charlie demanded, though not harshly.

In all his years as a police officer, and they were many, he'd never, ever heard a man speak with such conviction or sincerity. He'd heard declarations of innocence more times than he could count. He'd heard explanations concocted to try to get out of trouble; he'd heard heartfelt pleas for one more chance...he'd heard it all, and then some. While he loathed the thought of his daughter being in pain for any reason, she was a grown woman with a smart head on her shoulders. He trusted her implicitly and she'd never given him any reason to question her judgment.

He wasn't going to start now.

Edward picked his head up, not knowing what to expect.

"My daughter means everything to me and has since the moment she was brought into this world. I'd lay down my life for her if it came down to it. I'd hunt down anyone, to the ends of the earth, if they hurt her. There isn't anything her mother or I wouldn't do for her if she needed it. Whatever mistakes you have made, those are between you and her. We have taught her right from wrong; we have taught her what it means to forgive others. If Bella has chosen to forgive you, that is her choice to make," Charlie told him.

"Thank you, Charlie," Edward said quietly but was cut off.

"I'm not finished yet."

Edward nodded and then Charlie continued. "Look, let me just say this straight out and then we can get cleaned up for dinner. Isabella is as stubborn as her mother, but more forgiving and loving than all of us combined. It doesn't surprise me that she's given you another chance. Any man that looks at my daughter the way you look at her or can make her smile the way she is tonight, has to be doing something right. No one is undeserving of love, Edward. No one. Whatever caused you to think that, I have no idea, but if you ever need to talk to someone, you can always come to me. You're a part of this family, Edward. We haven't spent a lot of time together, but I hope we can change that. Might as well go all in, don't you think?"

"That would be...great," Edward said, overcome with emotion.

"Well, all right then," Charlie said, easing the tension between the two of them.

Good timing, too, because Renée announced dinner was ready.

Each of the men stood up and Charlie threw an arm around Edward's shoulder, needing to tell him one more thing. "Just so we're on the same page, son. Don't forget I keep a few guns at home. I won't be afraid to use one of them if I find out you've hurt her again."

"Yes, sir. You don't have to worry. I give you my word I won't make the same mistakes again," Edward vowed.

"Good, then we have nothing to worry about. Now come on, I'm starving."

While the two men were talking in the living room, Isabella found herself alone for a few minutes with her adored, and very perceptive Nonna.

"Isabella Marie," the spry woman greeted her granddaughter warmly. She reached out and grabbed her face, kissing both her cheeks. She stood back, still holding her face and smiled a serene, probing smile.

"Hi, Nonna," Isabella said back and pulled her in for a hug. Besides hugs from her father and Edward of course, there wasn't anything better than a hug from her grandmother.

Out of habit, because they'd prepared meals together for years now, they began the finishing touches on dinner. Isabella moved to prepare the homemade salad dressing while Gianna chopped the vegetables for the salad.

"Tell me how you've been, Cari, I haven't talked with you in a few days," Gianna told her granddaughter.

"I've been good, Nonna. Better than ever actually." Gianna, being the keen observer she was, didn't miss the way Isabella's eyes shone with happiness or the way her smile seemed to light up her entire being.

Oh, Gianna didn't miss it at all. In fact, she knew immediately when Isabella and Edward had arrived that something was different. You could feel it in the air, and you could certainly see it written plain as day all over her granddaughter's beautiful face. When you were as in tune with someone as she was with Isabella, it was one of those things you just knew, you didn't question.

"And, your Edward, how is he?" she asked with a knowing grin.

Isabella stopped stirring the liquid in the bowl, and stared dreamily off into space. "He's...he's," she couldn't find the words to describe how...or what he was, so she decided on, "wonderful."

"Good, Cari. That is good to hear."

Gianna would wait and pursue that particular topic later, once she'd had a chance to watch Isabella and Edward a bit more. She'd always felt like there was much more to Edward than he let on. Seeing Isabella the way she was now, she knew she hadn't been wrong.

During the next few minutes, Gianna told Isabella about the goings on at church as well as passed along a message from Father O'Connor.

"He hasn't seen you, Isabella. I hope you plan to remedy that, soon," Gianna said pointedly.

"I'm sorry, Nonna. And yes, I do. I was hoping Edward would come with me Sunday to Mass," Isabella answered, feeling guilty for missing Mass as often as she had lately.

"Well, it would be wonderful to have the whole family together at church," Gianna said and picked up the bowl to carry to the dining room.

Renée rushed into the kitchen, having changed her clothes, and took the chicken Parmesan out of the oven and drained the pasta. Isabella grabbed the basket of fresh bread and the salad dressing and followed Nonna.

"I'll ask Edward," Isabella said again and then jumped when she heard, "Ask me what, love?"

She looked up and found her husband gazing at her like he hadn't seen her in days instead of only minutes and, well, her stomach did that fluttery thing it always did when he looked at her that way.

"I was hoping you'd come with me to Mass on Sunday?" she questioned.

He stepped forward, forgetting that they weren't alone for a moment, and said, "Of course, Beautiful." He reached for her and then heard Charlie clear his throat behind him.

Well, that was embarrassing to say the least.

He flashed his wife an apologetic smile, though for what he wasn't sure. He took the basket from her hands and set it on the table, studiously trying not to look in Charlie's direction. At least not yet.

"Hello, Nonna," he said when he finally looked up.

"Edward, my boy, you get more handsome every time I see you," she teased him and then kissed him affectionately on the cheek.

Thankfully, that broke the awkward tension and when Renée followed behind with the platter of food, they all took their seats. Charlie said grace and then they all filled their plates with the delicious meal. Edward did indeed pour the wine, enjoying the fact that everyone thought it was delicious. He knew what Isabella's favorite meal was, chicken Parmesan with angel hair pasta, and picked out the perfect wine to compliment the course.

The dinner was extremely pleasant. Edward had forgotten how much he enjoyed listening to both Charlie and Renée talk. They were so open, so vivacious, that you couldn't help but get caught up in whatever story they were telling. Renée especially.

"So, Bambola, how are things at work?" Charlie asked in between bites.

"Fine."

"Isabella, you haven't told them yet?" Edward questioned, surprised that she hadn't informed them of what she was going to be doing.

"Told us what?" Renée asked quickly looking from Edward to her daughter.

"Mama, it's not that big a deal," Isabella said, trying to brush the whole thing off.

Edward was having none of it, however. "Oh, I beg to differ, love." Edward took a drink of his wine and then leaned forward, after picking up her hand. "Isabella and Emmett have started a project that is vital to the company. CP has found itself on the wrong side of a few attempted acquisitions lately, thanks to some underhanded moves by some of our competitors and well, the project that Isabella and Emmett are undertaking will go a long way to solidify our position as the preeminent publishing company in the country," Edward said proudly.

He went on to explain exactly what Isabella, Emmett, and the others were going to be doing and what they hoped to accomplish. He told them how every single member of the executive officer's was completely on board with all of the decisions Isabella had made so far and how they all had complete faith in her and her abilities.

Charlie beamed, not that he was surprised by his daughter's accomplishment. But, no father could ever wish for more than to hear their daughter's husband talk about her with such obvious pride and love. If he had any doubts about Edward or the kind of man he was, he didn't any longer.

"Edward," Isabella sighed, a bit flustered at listening to him go on the way he was. Oh, she loved it, but she'd had about all she could handle at the moment. The man was driving her absolutely wild with desire and she was afraid it wouldn't be long before she lost all rational thought.

So not a good thing to happen at your parents' house.

"Bella, we're so proud of you," Renée cried.

"Thank you, Mama, but we haven't even started really. All we've done is gotten some preliminary things put together. I'm looking forward to working so closely with Edward, Emmett, and the others and I'm excited about trying something different, but let's not jump the gun, okay?" Isabella said, trying to rein in her overzealous mother.

"Pshhh, I'm with Edward, baby. This is a big deal," Renée argued and then smiled hugely at her son-in-law. She'd always had such a soft spot for Edward. He always seemed so broken, so afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing; he'd been that way from the very beginning. He might have been wealthy beyond her comprehension, he might run a multimillion dollar company, he might have private jets and been all over the world, but deep down he was as vulnerable as anyone she'd ever seen.

Looking across the table at him now, he didn't seem quite so broken or afraid, though it was still there beneath the surface. The way he hung onto Isabella and the way his eyes constantly sought her out told her there were still things there that haunted him, but they were less so than before.

She couldn't be happier about that.

They finished up their dinner, eating to the point of almost overdoing it, but there were still presents and cake to get through.

Once they'd cleared the dishes, everyone doing their part to get it done quickly, they sat back down in the living room to have coffee and open presents. Seeing as how Isabella was Charlie and Renée's only child, they had a tendency to go a bit overboard when it came time to give presents. Nothing extravagant, only things that were meaningful and well thought out, but there were plenty.

Isabella unwrapped some books that she'd been meaning to read, but hadn't had the time to get for herself. Her parents gave her a soft, cashmere blanket to curl up with on the couch when she worked at home or read. Renée had painted her a picture of her favorite Chicago skyline and had it matted and framed. That one brought tears to her eyes. Charlie had given her four tickets to the next Chicago Fire soccer game.

"Edward, you will join us, won't you?" Charlie asked with a grin and Edward nodded enthusiastically.

"Isabella Marie, my Angelo gave this to me on my thirtieth birthday. I want you to have it," Gianna said as she handed her an elegantly wrapped package.

"Nonna," Isabella said softly, before she even opened it.

"Hush, child. I've been waiting a long time to give this to you. Don't you ruin it for me," Gianna said sternly but with a smile.

With shaking fingers, she carefully opened the package, conscious of Edward's arm around her shoulder. She pushed the paper off the box and let out a gasp of surprise when she saw what was inside. Tucked inside the tissue paper was the most beautiful music box she'd ever seen. It was white with gold around the edges and the most elegantly painted flower on the top. Isabella carefully lifted the lid and immediately recognized the tune of _Clair de Lune_.

"Nonna, it's so beautiful," Isabella said reverently as she ran her fingers over the top of the box once she'd shut it.

"Every night when we would take our walk, we'd pass by this store and that box was in the window. I swear I must have looked at it every night for months and months. When my birthday came around Angelo made me a picnic and took me to the park because we didn't have much money. Inside the basket was that box. He must have begged, borrowed, and worked his fingers to the bone to save up enough money for that music box. It is one of my most favorite things he ever gave me."

"Nonna, I can't take this," Isabella said with tears in her eyes as she thought about how much the music box had to have meant to her grandmother but Gianna adamantly shook her head.

Gianna stood up and then sat on the other side of Isabella and said, "You can and you will. Child, your grandfather was the love of my life and every time I opened that box and heard that music, it put a smile on my face. Now I want you to keep it and remember how rare and special true love is." She leaned over and kissed Isabella on the cheek and then patted Edward on the hand before walking back to her chair.

Once the presents had all been opened, Renée brought out the cake, much to Isabella's consternation. She was spared the singing of happy birthday, threatening everyone with the fiercest of fierce glares, but she had to admit, no one made red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting like her mother did.

After everyone had their fill of cake and espresso, Renée stole Isabella away for a few minutes, and Charlie went to go check the score of the baseball game, leaving Edward to gather Isabella's presents to take to the car.

It also gave Gianna the perfect opportunity to spend a few minutes alone with Edward.

"Here, Cari, let me help you," she said as she took the blanket and books from him while he carried everything else.

They walked quickly to the car and Edward placed everything in the back seat.

"O vedo molti cambiamenti in voi, cari, siete più in pace, felice," Gianna said, softly, but with much emotion.

"What did you just say?" Edward questioned and gasped when she told him, "I see much change in you, dear, you are more at peace, happy."

"Isabella is responsible for that. She's my everything, my reason for being happy," Edward said honestly.

"La mia ragione," Gianna said with tears in her eyes. "It means 'my reason' in Italian, Edward," she explained when she saw the question in his eyes.

"La mia ragione," Edward repeated, knowing he'd never heard anything more perfect in his life.

"You keep taking care of her, Cari," Gianna said as she hooked her arm in his and they walked back up to the house. "She looks at you the same way I looked at my Angelo. You're her reason, too, Edward. Never forget that."

"Thank you, Nonna," Edward said thickly, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes.

"You're a good man, Edward Cullen, you need to try remembering that from now on. Now, don't you be a stranger. I expect to see you Sunday at church and you come visit me sometime. I'm nicer than Charlie and I don't have a gun," she teased and they both laughed when they heard the snort from Charlie as they walked back inside.

The goodbyes were long and drawn out, mostly because the evening had been so enjoyable for all of them. Edward could not get over how at home he felt with Isabella and her family, even though he'd never felt as such before. As affectionate as they all were, and once he'd gotten over his initial hesitations, he found himself missing them before they'd even left.

Charlie walked them to the car, making sure Isabella was buckled up tight in her seat belt like the overprotective father he was, and kissed her on the top of the head before shutting the door.

He turned to Edward, who was waiting to say his own goodbye before getting in his seat. "Edward, let's try not to make it so long between visits next time," he said and held his hand out to shake.

"I tell you what, Charlie, let me check with Emmett and maybe you can come watch Jack play baseball with us when he has his next game. It's not the Cubs, but I have to tell you, it was a lot of fun just the same," Edward answered before he had much time to think about it, but once the words were out of his mouth, he was happy he said something, especially when he saw how happy the offer made Charlie.

He again felt that piercing pang of regret at not having children, knowing that he'd not only selfishly deprived Isabella from being a mother, but Charlie and Renée from being grandparents as well.

Well, he couldn't give him his own children, but he knew without a doubt Emmett and Rose would love to see them at the game. Rose didn't speak to her parents at all so Carlisle and Esme were it in terms of grandparents. He didn't think two more adopted ones so to speak were too much, not at all, especially if they were Charlie and Renée.

"That would be..." Charlie stammered, quite unlike himself. "I'd really like that, Edward. Thanks," and then surprising the shit out of both of them, he pulled Edward in for a quick but meaningful hug.

Both men stepped away, not quite sure what to say. Thankfully Renée saved them both from turning into blubbering messes when she called for her husband from the porch.

"Be safe going home now, son, and we'll see you Sunday," Charlie said and then blew a kiss to his daughter, who watched the exchange between her love and her father with her jaw in her lap.

She didn't say anything when he slid in his seat, mostly because she couldn't speak.

"Beautiful, stop looking at me that way. It was just a hug from your father." Edward chuckled as they took off and headed for home.

"But..that was...I mean...Edward, you have no idea how happy that makes me," Isabella said as she turned to look at him.

"I think I get the picture." He laughed. "Did you have a nice evening?" he asked, completely changing the subject. It wasn't as if he was trying to hide anything from her, but he really didn't know what he was feeling right at the moment. Relieved was of course at the top of the list, but it was more than that. Accepted...embraced...would be closer to it if he had to quantify it.

Isabella nodded and then reached over and ran her hand through Edward's hair. He looked so calm and so very, very peaceful. None of that tense jaw and shoulders business; none of that guarded eyes and tight mouth. It was all gone and all that was left was plain and simply...her Edward.

"Yes, I did. It was amazing," Isabella said very quietly.

"I'm glad. Your family is incredible, love," Edward told her and glanced quickly at her as they sped down the road toward home.

She scooted over in her seat, not taking off her seat belt, but getting as close to him as she could. "They're your family, too, sweetheart," she reminded him and he sighed at her words.

"Yes, they are and I couldn't be happier about that." He reached over and pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. Damn he really wanted to be home already. The night couldn't have turned out any better if he had planned it himself, but now all he wanted was to slide into bed and then, slide into her. He wanted to lose himself completely in her and not come out for a really long fucking time.

However, there was something he felt like he needed to tell her, and he wanted to do it before they got home. "I couldn't ever, ever imagine being this happy, Isabella. I know we've said we're not going to dwell on the past, and I promise I'm not, but I just wanted you to know how fucking grateful I am that you've given me this second chance. Hell, it's more like my two hundredth, two thousandth chance when you think about all the damn mistakes I've made. I just wanted you to know I realize how incredibly lucky I am that you've not only given me you, but your family as well. I know I haven't acted like it, but I do love them," he told her honestly.

They pulled in the garage and though they were both extremely ready to go upstairs, and to bed, they took their time. There was no need to rush anything, so they didn't.

Once they were inside the bedroom they still didn't rush.

In the moonlight, night passed into early morning which then faded into dawn and still, they took their time.

Neither Edward nor Isabella made it to work on time the next morning.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

"Donna, where is Edward? I haven't seen him all afternoon, and I've sent him at least five text messages since lunch. I checked in his office and he's not there and neither Alec nor Marcus have seen him," Isabella stated anxiously, wondering where in the world he was.

It was the next week and her birthday was in two days, on Saturday. Edward had something planned and he wouldn't tell her what it was, and really he'd been acting strangely all week. Not in a bad way, just anxious and twitchy about something. Every time she would ask if he was okay, he'd merely nod his head and give her a sexy, lazy smile. He was up to something, she just had no idea what it was.

Donna swallowed, not wanting to lie to Isabella. Edward had mentioned that he was going home for the afternoon, but nothing more. "I believe, Isabella, that he was going home."

"Home? Is he all right? Was he feeling okay?" Isabella asked quickly, immediately imagining the worst. She couldn't figure out why he didn't tell her he was leaving.

"Thank you. Will you let Em and the others know I've gone home for the day? We'll finish our meetings tomorrow," Isabella said quickly, grabbing her planner and her bag and then hurried down to the parking garage. She threw her things in the passenger seat and started the car. She quickly tapped her phone and hit the button to call Edward, groaning when it went to voicemail.

"Sweetheart, I'm on my way home. Donna said you left early. I wish you had told me you weren't feeling well. See you soon; love you," she said and then disconnected the call.

It didn't take her long to get home because it was the middle of the afternoon and she left her car in the driveway, thinking that more than likely she was going to have to go out again and get something for Edward, once she knew what was wrong with him. She couldn't think of any other reason for him to leave the office, especially as quickly as he did.

She let herself in the front door and frowned when she heard noises coming from upstairs. She set her bag and purse down on the island in the kitchen and then headed up the stairs. She heard a bump and then Edward's voice, though it was muffled and she couldn't tell what he was saying.

Pushing open the door to the bedroom, she saw something she never expected.

Tears immediately formed in her eyes and flowed down over her cheeks. "Edward, what have you done?"

***Bambola means _doll_ in Italian***

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**EEEEK! What could Edward have done? Besides that, what did you think? I hope you can see why this chapter was my favorite so far! Seth certainly was in rare form, wasn't he...and how about Charlie, Renee, and Nonna? I have been waiting to get to those three for weeks now so I hope you enjoyed seeing them as much as I enjoyed writing them. We'll see all of them again, too, don't worry.**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab! Laurel made a beautiful one for this chapter, which will be the first part of Isabella's birthday and there are some pictures of her gifts as well under the story images. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Oh, we've also added a picture of Gideon and re-labeled the pictures with an incredible new font! Go look! Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I've answered a couple questions it seems lots of you have had, and I'll be happy to answer any more.**

**www(.)les16(.)proboards(.)com**

**I've signed up to take part in the Fandom Against Domestic Violence fundraiser that will begin on Feb. 1st. I have submitted an outtake from TGG in which we will Seth as a human and how exactly he died and became an 'll get a compilation of works of over 100+ authors including my friends prettykittyartist, aydenmorgen, and sparklingwand to name a few- for only a $10 donation. It's for a great cause, so please donate!** **I've posted the amazing banner lizzylilyrose made for me to go along with the outtake on the blog, so please go look! There is a link to the FADV website on my blog and profile if you'd like more information! www(.)fandomagainstdomesticviolence(.)blogspot(.)com**

**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see what Charlie really thought of Edward's revelations. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, it's Isabella's birthday!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**WOW! You guys have blown me away with all the reviews, alerts, and favorites! Thank you seems like such a small thing to say in return for all the love and support you've given to me and this story! I seriously have the best readers out there! Welcome to all the new readers I've gotten over the past few weeks!**

**The Greatest Gift has been nominated for 3 Shimmer Awards - for Best All Human, Best Romance, and Best Author! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to whomever nominated me! I am totally blown away by this especially when I see the other amazing authors and stories I am nominated alongside. I am truly humbled and very grateful that my story has touched all of you so deeply. Please take a moment and check out all the wonderful people and works that are nominated! (I know this looks weird, but just copy and paste and add the periods where needed. You can only vote once!) Winners will be announced Feb. 20th.**

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**Now…on with the story! ~*~* LEMON ALERT *~*~**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 15**

"Son of a bitch!" Edward hissed as he bumped his elbow for the umpteenth time since he'd been home.

"Problems, Eddie?" Seth asked from his usual perch in the corner.

Edward grunted as he dropped the heavy piece of furniture on the ground with a loud thump. "Can't you use any of that angel mumbo jumbo stuff and like transport her things from down the hall into here so I don't have to do it myself?" he snapped, glaring at the angel; the one that was currently shaking the windows with his loud, and Edward felt, obnoxious laugh.

"Edward, do I look like the type of being that can transport things? I'm an angel, not a magician you know. Besides, why didn't you ask Emmett or Jasper to help you?" Seth asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

"You really think I want my brother and best friend knowing that Isabella's things were in the room down the hall? Emmett and I just got to the point we are now. If I told him that, he'd kick my ass from here all the way to Lake Michigan. Not to mention Jasper, who'd gladly hold my head underwater. Those two are almost worse than you when it comes to her," Edward sighed.

The angel let go another booming laugh at that comment, not disagreeing in the least. "Can you blame us?"

"Hell no, I can't," Edward admitted with a smile. In this case, Edward couldn't even argue with the annoying angel. "She's...Isabella."

Seth felt his heart grow with love for his two humans. Watching their love affair, which was what it certainly was, was an incredible thing to witness. Day in and day out Edward and Isabella continued to amaze him and the others of his kind with their love for each other. It was true, it was honest, and it was the purest form of expression he'd ever seen...and he'd seen a lot in his time.

The angel had given Edward some leeway on discussing his past after the dinner with the Swans last week. The realization about not having children had really hit Edward hard, more so than he had expected, actually. Between feeling like he'd deprived Isabella and disappointed Charlie and Renée, it took quite a bit of angelic prodding to get him to come out of his funk. Edward had done a decent job of putting it behind him, but Seth wasn't fool enough to believe the subject had been dealt with completely. It was a big thing to overcome and in all honesty was the only thing Seth didn't quite know how to answer.

Well, he couldn't answer the when he was going to die question either, but Edward had known that from the get go.

No, the question of what to do about giving or not giving Isabella the chance to be a mother was something only Edward could answer. Seth had never been in his position. He'd become an angel long before he had to deal with such matters so he couldn't even begin to understand the dilemma that plagued his young friend at the moment. To come to the realization that your own fears and mistakes could cost the woman you loved more than anything what could be her only chance at being a mother had to be a hell of a blow.

For the immediate future it seemed as if Edward had other things on his mind, so until he was ready to talk about it again, Seth would leave the topic be. Besides, there were other matters that needed attending to.

Edward stood in the center of the room and looked around, pretty much at a complete loss. When he'd first gotten his idea it had seemed like a good one, now he wasn't so sure. "I don't know where to start," he said out loud, though he hadn't meant to.

"Boy, you make everything so damn complicated! Have you always had the annoying tendency of over-thinking every move you make?" Seth sarcastically asked.

Edward snorted. "You know perfectly well what that answer is; you've been watching me almost my whole life."

"I know. I just wanted to see what you'd say. Really, Eddie, you make things too easy sometimes." The angel snickered.

"Are you going to keep making fun of me or are you going to help? I mean, fuck, what the hell good is having your very own pain in the ass angel if he's not even going to help you, huh? I don't have all day, you know. Isabella is going to notice I've left the office. Shit, I just wanted to do something to...I don't know, show her I want her with me, always. To show her that I never should have let her leave our room in the first place. I just want her to know how fucking much I love her..." Edward huffed and then said, "Hell, love doesn't even describe it. I just...want her to never question...or ever forget."

A mighty sigh filled the room and again, the windows shook. "Edward Anthony, after the past few weeks you can't possibly believe Isabella doesn't know how much you love her?" Seth questioned. "Really, my friend, you might be clueless at times, but you're not stupid."

"As selfish as this is going to sound, and we both know I can be really fucking selfish, when my time comes," Edward said as he swallowed painfully, "I don't want her to forget me. I mean, I don't want her to be sad, of course, but...fuck..."

Seth rolled his ice blue eyes heavenward and muttered under his breath, "Give me strength, please." He looked at Edward, who was still standing in the middle of the room looking completely lost and said, "Boy, if it didn't go against my nature, and it wouldn't upset the lovely Isabella so damn much, I swear I would knock you into next week. Do you think you could possibly be any more dramatic? Edward, we've already talked about this. Isabella is going to go on, exactly like her grandmother has. A love like the two of you share can't ever be duplicated and she won't ever love anyone else the way she does you but, she is a strong, loving, and vivacious person. Do you really want to picture her whiling away her days, staring aimlessly out the windows of the house she refuses to leave or would you rather she use her memories of you to help her through the day? She has so much to give, Edward, and it would be a crying shame if she curled up, afraid to go on instead of living."

"No. I want her to be happy. You will always take care of her, right? You'll keep watching over her?" Edward asked and at that, Seth smiled hugely.

Finally!

It had only taken the man weeks to ask this question. "Edward, let me tell you this one thing and then I'll see what kind of magic I can come up with to help you with your surprise for your wife. Good job on that by the way, she'll love it and I can promise it will only solidify things between the two of you. Now, back to your preceding question. Edward, whenever the time comes for you to leave this Earth, I promise you...Isabella, Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie, Renée, Jasper, Nonna, Carlisle, Esme, and anyone and anything else that is important to you, is important to me and my kind. It's all part of the same package, and we never lose a package. Long after you are gone, we'll still be watching over all of them, rest assured."

"Good...that's good to know," Edward said, somewhat absentmindedly. It wasn't that he didn't hear what the angel said, because he most certainly did. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the assurance, because again, he most certainly did.

He was just really nervous about how his gesture would be received. He thought he was doing a good thing, and he knew it was the right thing. Maybe he should have asked her first instead of trying to surprise her? God, he was so bad at this. Granted, he thought he'd done fairly decent at doing sweet things for her the past few weeks, but this, this was on a whole other level.

_Well, at least he'd told him once_ , Seth thought resignedly. He'd have to remind Edward again later, he was sure, but he did understand his assignment's present preoccupation. "Okay, my young friend. Let's see what I can do with this mess you've created before your lovely wife comes home and ruins her own surprise."

Seth did indeed use his otherworldly abilities, mostly his ability to move really fast and the fact he was really strong, to get things in order for his two humans in no time. Edward had given a lot of thought on how he wanted to change things and after much consideration, decided on a whole new bed, new bedding, and then adding some of Isabella's things to the room to make it completely 'theirs' again. He still wasn't sure of making the changes without asking her first, but he wanted so very badly to surprise her.

The new room was just the first of many surprises, and he hoped that she didn't get upset with him right off the bat. It would make the rest of his surprises, and the weekend he had planned a bit on the uncomfortable side.

Seth finally stopped moving so he could appreciate his handiwork and gave Edward a bright, beaming, and Edward noted, very self-satisfied smile once he was done. However much he wanted to make a smart ass comment, Edward held his tongue, mostly because he knew he never would have gotten everything done on his own.

"Thank you," Edward said graciously and with much feeling.

He really wanted Isabella to be happy about this.

"Eddie, stop all that over-analyzing business right now. She's going to love it; you know it and I know it. You're welcome by the way," the angel answered back.

"You really think she'll like it?" Edward asked...for the fifty-seventh time...at least.

Seth rolled his ice blue eyes but still answered as patiently as he had the fifty-six times before. "Yes, Edward, I do. Now, do you need any last minute advice? You have her present?"

Edward huffed, feeling like a child being talked to by a parent, but he supposed he needed it. "No, I think I can manage to stumble through this all on my own. No watching though..." Edward sternly said.

The angel had to laugh at that one. However, he would respect the request. He knew how important this was, for both of them, in order to truly be able to move forward. Discussing Edward's past was still so very important, but this step right here, was the last missing piece.

"Fine, fine, spoil all my fun," Seth needled but then floated and stopped in front of Edward. "I'm very proud of you, you know that, right? None of this has been easy and you've really done exceptionally well at handling everything, even if you are prone to dramatics every now and then." Edward rolled his eyes but he couldn't disagree.

"It hasn't been easy. If I haven't said it already, and I know I haven't, thank you. I don't know what I did to deserve the chance to fix the mess I made of things, but I do know how lucky I am. I also know I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without your help," Edward said, a bit shocked at how easy it was to say all that.

The angel pissed him off to no end more times than he could count, but he most definitely knew how much Seth had done for him...and for Isabella.

Seth was taken by surprise by the unexpected and heartfelt words. Curtailing his immediate response of 'eh, it's just my job,' especially because this assignment was never just part of his job, he answered back in the same tone. "Edward, you have no idea how much pleasure it truly gives me to watch you and Isabella. We still have much work to do together, my friend, but I fully believe you can do what you need to do for yourself, for her, and for your family."

Noting that he was about to get a bit overwhelmed, as Edward had a tendency to do, and because Seth didn't want to do anything that would take away from the lovely Isabella's much deserved surprise, he decided to lighten things up a bit. "I'll give you your space for the rest of the day, Edward, but tomorrow, no such luck, got me? This weekend is going to be quite the minefield for you to have to navigate and if you have any hope of making it to other side, you're going to have to listen to me. No arguments either," Seth said sternly.

Okay, maybe not lightening things up, but a change of topic at least.

"Fucking great," Edward muttered, but he knew what needed to be done this weekend anyway.

They both heard the front door open and close so Seth took that as his clue to leave. "Relax, Eddie, what's the worst she could do?" he said evilly and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered in extreme annoyance.

As he heard his wife move around downstairs, he paced around the room nervously. Holy hell, if she didn't like this...he just hoped it accomplished what he'd wanted it to.

"Fuck!" he hissed when he bumped his knee into the end of the new bed.

He heard Isabella gasp and quickly looked up, mortified when he saw the tears in her eyes, even more so when he heard the anguished, "Edward, what have you done?" escape from her lips.

"You hate it, don't you? I fucking knew it. Beautiful, I'm so sorry, we can change it back," he said so fast he tripped over his words in a frantic attempt to make things better. "Isabella, I'm..." he started to say but was interrupted.

"Stop...just stop," she told him forcefully.

_How did he...he was...she swore one day he'd_...Isabella thought.

She stared at him, so blown away by what he'd done. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly love him anymore, he did something totally unexpected. His green eyes stared anxiously back at hers and it wasn't until she saw them cloud over in disappointment and pain that she snapped out of the trance she was in.

Before she knew what she was doing she flung herself into his arms, heedless of the fact that she was still dressed in her work clothes or that she had taken her husband completely by surprise. Luckily for her, he caught her with no problem and immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her flush against his body. Never in her life had she been so grateful that she'd decided to wear dress pants, especially when she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I love you...I love you...I love you," she said between kisses all over his face.

Edward felt his heart start beating again when he heard her words. "Oh, thank God," he breathed out and then covered her mouth with his. He plunged his tongue in her mouth, needing so badly to kiss her. Their tongues tangled in their frenzy, each seemingly as desperate as the other.

Isabella was lost in a haze of a lust so pervasive she could barely see straight, but she knew what she wanted.

Edward. Naked. In their new bed.

Now.

She fumbled with the bottom of his t-shirt and then gripped it in her hands and pushed it up over his head, groaning when she had to lift her lips from his. As soon as he was freed from his shirt, she immediately resumed her assault on his lips. She sucked his bottom one into her mouth, running her tongue along the inside of it. Her hands slid into his hair, and she twisted it between her fingers. She pressed her body against his, trying to get as close to him as she possibly could.

"Edward...need you...bed...please," she panted almost incoherently but Edward knew exactly what she meant.

He walked them to the bed, chuckling darkly when he felt her hands between their bodies as she hastily unbuttoned her dress shirt. He heard her heels hit the floor as she kicked them off and he growled in extreme pleasure when he felt her scantily clad chest press against his when she threw her shirt to the side. She managed to snake a hand downward and undid the button on his jeans and pushed the zipper down as far as she could given their positions. When she slipped her hand beneath the elastic waistband of his boxers, Edward stopped.

"Shit...Beautiful," he moaned as her fingers wrapped around his length.

They fell onto the new comforter atop their new bed, paying no attention to anything besides each other and their desperate need. Edward managed to pull himself away so that he could stand up. He pushed his jeans and boxers down his legs and when he was gloriously naked, Isabella licked her lips as she brazenly drank him in from head to foot.

Lord have mercy she loved him.

So damn much.

It was that all-consuming, can't breathe without you kind of love, too. It was achingly sweet sometimes, but there were others, like now, when her love for him tipped more toward the fierce, possessive, almost uncontrollable kind. For so long she wanted to love him freely, to show him how much she wanted him, needed him.

She had always wanted to share those secret looks that only lovers exchange. She wanted to have their own special language, like her parents did, when only they knew what they were the other was talking about. She wanted to be free enough to touch him a certain way and know that he would understand what she was trying to say, even when she didn't say a word.

She wanted to be so connected to him that all it would take was one look into her eyes and he would see...everything.

The way she was sure he could right now judging from the way his eyes bore into hers.

"Isabella," he said huskily, his nostrils flaring as he continued to stare at her. He crawled on the bed and wordlessly undid her pants, trying to be as gentle as he could considering his present state. In no time he'd divested her of her pants, leaving her in her cream-colored lace bra and panties.

"So fucking perfect," Edward whispered.

"Edward, please. I need you now," Isabella practically cried out to him, her body vibrating because she ached for him so much.

Hearing her plea snapped him out of his reverent musings and he quickly complied with her wish, needing her with the same ferocity. He pulled her panties down, resisting the urge to rip them off her. He flicked the front clasp on her bra and watched, mesmerized, as her breasts spilled out.

"Edward," Isabella breathed out, her chest heaving as she waited for him to fill her.

"Shh, my love," Edward whispered against her lips as he entered her, wasting no time to feel her completely surround him.

Her body felt like it was on fire. With each thrust, she felt like she was spiraling out of control. She clawed at his back; she nipped at his lips, his jaw, and neck. She pressed her feet against his ass, trying to drive him faster, deeper.

"Make me...I need...oh please," she cried, not even knowing what she was trying to convey to him.

"I've got you, Beautiful. Let it go, baby, it's okay," Edward panted in her ear, feeling her shake beneath him.

Isabella stared up into his eyes, looking straight into his soul and that was all it took before she was gone, exploding in the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced.

"Oh...fuck," Edward groaned loudly as he came right after.

He tried to keep from collapsing, but couldn't stop himself from letting the weight of his body fall onto hers. _Well that was most definitely unexpected_ , he thought with a chuckle.

"Guess that means you liked your surprise?" Edward asked with a cocky as hell smirk when he lifted his head up.

Isabella blew her hair out of her face and rolled her gorgeous brown eyes at her even more gorgeous husband. "Did you really just ask me that? Perhaps you need another demonstration?" she taunted as she lifted her hips and wantonly ground her center against his still semi-hard erection.

"Evil, evil woman you are," Edward growled and then kissed her deeply.

When they were both breathless and had to pull apart, Isabella lifted her small hands and laid them on her husband's stubbled cheeks and said, "Thank you. It was a wonderful surprise, but next time, please at least make something up instead of just disappearing, okay? I was worried when no one knew where you were."

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. I told you I have no idea what I'm doing here. I didn't mean to make you worry," he told her softly and rubbed his nose against hers.

Edward picked up his head and narrowed his eyes when he heard her giggle at him, even though the sound was music to his ears. "Oh, I think you know perfectly well what you're doing, husband of mine. This," she said with a catch in her throat, "is beyond perfect."

She looked through glassy eyes around their newly-decorated room and then back at him. "It's all so beautiful, Edward. How did you manage to get it all done in such a short time?"

He chuckled, thinking if she only knew. "It wasn't that hard. You really like it?" he questioned earnestly.

He shifted their bodies, though he didn't really want to, and pulled her against him. "I love it, Edward. Really. Can I ask you something?" she whispered quietly. When he told her yes, she asked simply, "Why?"

Edward sighed, having a feeling she would ask this very question. He knew the answer though, having already given it to the annoying angel person. "I never should have let you leave in first place, Isabella. I know it's my own damn fault you did and I'm the one that drove you away, but you need to know I wanted so fucking badly every night to beg you to come back, I just didn't know how or why you would. I have always and do always want you with me. I'm just sorry it took me this long to make you see that."

"I'll always be with you, sweetheart. And, just so you know, with as beautiful as this room is, I might never leave," she told him with a smirk.

"I think that can be arranged, Mrs. Cullen," Edward growled playfully at her and then laughed softly when she tried to hide a yawn behind her tangled mess of curls.

He settled them against the pillows and wrapped his arms snugly around her. "How about we take a nap and then we'll discuss the rest of my plans for you?"

"Edward, this is more than enough," Isabella huffed at him, and he completely ignored her protests.

"Nope, not even the tip of the iceberg, Beautiful. Now rest, you're going to need it," he said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

Isabella knew she was fighting a losing battle and she really was tired. She let the soothing feeling of Edward's fingers running through her hair lull her to sleep. Right before sleep claimed her she whispered sleepily, "Too sweet. What am I going to do with you?"

"Just love me," Edward whispered back, even though her steady breathing let him know she'd already fallen asleep.

He held her while she slept for a bit and then carefully slid out from beneath her, making sure to tuck the pillows and blankets around her. He picked up his clothes and walked quietly to the bathroom to take a shower, taking a moment to just watch her as she peacefully slept.

"So fucking beautiful," he whispered softly as he stared at her.

He quickly showered, not wanting her to wake up and find him gone. Once he was done, he got dressed in a pair of clean boxers and some loose basketball shorts that sat low on his hips. He didn't bother with a shirt; he hoped he wouldn't need the rest of his clothes for long, but he didn't want to give Isabella one of her presents naked, either.

Now her naked, that was a must.

He went to his closet and pulled out the bag he'd hidden there last week. After their dinner with Charlie, Renée, and Nonna, he'd gotten this idea. He hoped she'd understand the sentiment behind it. He was so excited when he found exactly what he'd been looking for when he walked into the jeweler's. Spending the weekend in the city at the penthouse, going to the opera, that was all going to be amazing and he hoped special for her, but this, this was something he hoped would mean a lot to her.

He set the bag on the nightstand beside the bed and pulled out her present, attaching it carefully to her wrist. He smiled when he looked at it, and then excitedly put the identical one, save for color, on his. Shit, he hoped she liked it. He was even more nervous about this than the changing the bedroom thing.

Edward crawled into the bed, trying really fucking hard not to wake her up no matter how much he was aching to do so. He felt like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus, and it wasn't even him getting the presents. He had to admit, this whole giving presents thing was a hell of a lot of fun.

Isabella felt what seemed like a never-ending stream of kisses to the top of her head as she woke up from what had to have been the best nap she'd ever taken.

Bar. None.

She stretched, enjoying the slightly sore muscles in her legs, not to mention between her legs. She picked her head up and as she went to push her hair out of her face, noticed something on her wrist that had most definitely not been there when she'd fallen asleep.

"Edward?" she questioned and turned quickly to look at him.

"Happy Birthday," he said softly.

She sat up, wrapping the sheet around her chest. Holding her arm out, she looked at it, and then brought it to her face so she could look closer at it.

It was...

"It's a friendship bracelet," Edward answered her silent question.

Isabella immediately felt her eyes fill with tears and then before she knew it was in his lap, tangled in the sheet. "You have one, too," she cried when she saw the same bracelet as hers, but in a different color on his wrist as he pushed her hair back over her shoulder.

"Isabella, I asked you a month ago if we could be friends as well as lovers. I think we've got a pretty good handle on the loving part, but it's just as important to me to be your friend. You're my best friend, the person I want to share everything with. I don't have many friends, but if all I was allowed was one, I'd want it to be you," he said with so much feeling it brought tears to his eyes.

"Oh, Edward. It's perfect; you're perfect," she squeaked as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

He laughed at how happy she was. "I'm not so sure about the perfect, Beautiful, but I am trying to be. You deserve it after everything," he started to say but was hushed when she put her fingers over his lips.

"Let's get one thing straight, Edward Anthony Cullen," she said fiercely as her eyes blazed at him, "and then you can tell me what these colors mean. I love you, have always loved you, will always love you. I knew who you were, the kind of man you were from the get go. Yes, you've made mistakes but we both have. I'm not keeping score Edward and I'm not living in the past. You've made me happier in the last month than I ever imagined I could be, so to me, you are perfect." She turned in his lap and straddled his thighs. "Got it?"

Edward looked up into her eyes, seeing how much it meant to her to truly leave their past in the past and even though there were many things he could have said, he gave her a sexy, crooked smile instead and answered simply, "Got it."

"Now, my perfect husband," she said with an adorable giggle. "Why don't you tell me what these colors mean?" Isabella asked as she tucked the sheet under her arms.

He reached down and picked up her hand, a bit unsure of how to tell her why he chose the colors he did. "Well, when I first got the idea to give you this, I'll be honest and tell you I had no idea what the hell I was looking for, but when I saw these, I knew they were perfect. I wanted you to have something that you could wear to work or wherever, but I wanted to have one just like it. And, well the colors," he went on and blew out a nervous breath. "Mine, is obviously brown because it reminds me of your eyes," he said softly as he ran his fingers down the side of her cheek.

"And mine is green to remind me of your eyes," Isabella finished, looking from her wrist and then up to her husband's very anxious looking face.

"Perfect," she said tenderly.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and said, "You've always told me you liked my eyes." He reached up and slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her face closer to his so he could kiss her. "I just wanted us to have something to remind us of how far we've come, something that was only for us to know," he whispered against her lips after he'd kissed her.

She was immediately reminded of what she wished for just a short time ago, and now here her amazing husband was doing just what she'd hoped. Her heart filled with love for him and she wanted him again. The first time was frantic and needy; now she wanted to take her time.

Isabella pulled the sheet from her body, letting it fall into a pool around them. She leaned forward and kissed up the side of his jaw until she reached his ear. "Thank you for our new bedroom, sweetheart," she whispered huskily in his ear as she curled her tongue around his earlobe.

"I'm...ah...so glad you like it...shit," Edward hissed when he felt her teeth bite down on the sensitive skin.

She ground her already damp center against his straining erection, delighting in how much he wanted her, always. She licked down the side of his neck, grazing her teeth across his shoulder. "Thank you for our bracelets. It's the best thing you could have given me. I don't ever want to take it off. I love it," she said between warm, wet, open-mouthed kisses across his chest.

She flicked his left nipple with her tongue and then followed that with her fingernail, flushing with pleasure when she heard the deep rumble in his chest and felt his fingers curl around her hipbones.

"Isabella," Edward said, half begging, half warning.

She paid no attention, giving the right nipple the same attention. When he felt her tongue lave at the sensitive flesh, he closed his eyes and threw his head back muttering a fierce, "Fuck!"

Isabella took that cue and proceeded to slide her hand inside his loose shorts, palming him fully in her hand. "Oh, I plan to," she said seductively as she continued to assault his nipples.

Edward's brain registered what she had said, about half a second before he felt himself grow even harder in her hand. He picked his head up and stared at her, totally captivated by what he saw. While their lovemaking could never be described as ordinary, not at all, he couldn't help how her words affected him.

"Beautiful?" he squeaked out as her hand began to slide up and down his length.

She covered his mouth with hers, possessing it fully. Everything he'd done for her today, yesterday, the weeks before all seemed to culminate into the blinding need she had for him.

She slithered up his body, pressing her breasts firmly against his chest and then lowered her very wet center over him, taking him fully inside of her. Once he was as deep as he could be, and Isabella was sure she'd never felt him fill her so fully ever before, she stopped moving and stared into his eyes.

In them she saw...everything. She saw the way he needed her. The lingering sadness and pain he had still not yet shared with her, his fear that his mistakes had been too many to move past. But beneath all that, she saw and felt his unending love for her.

She held the side of his face and smiled at him, through the tears that she felt fall down over her cheeks. "Edward, look at me, look at us," she told him in a shaky voice. She watched as his eyes moved from her eyes and down to where their bodies were connected. When she heard his groan, she picked his head up again. "We're perfect together, baby. Don't ever, fucking ever doubt it again. Please?" she begged him, using words she'd never used before.

"I won't. Oh, God, I promise I won't," he cried out as he wrapped his arms around her.

With that, she began to move up and down. Edward stopped thinking and just allowed himself to feel as their bodies spoke to the other without words. When Isabella dragged her nails down his back and he held onto her ass as she rode him, he felt it. When she sucked his tongue into her mouth and twisted his hair in her hands, he felt it. When he felt her hardened nipples rub against his chest he felt it. When she picked up his hand and placed it between their bodies and over her swollen bundle of nerves, and when they came together, he felt it.

They were perfect together.

He saw just how perfect they were, many, many times that night. Even when they ate their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their new bed, he saw how perfect they were.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

The next morning Edward most definitely did not want to leave their perfect bed, but he didn't have a choice.

He bent over and kissed his wife, chuckling softly when she opened her eyes. "You're leaving already?" she asked sleepily as she scooted up the bed so she could sit up.

He sat on the bed, knowing it was probably not the smartest idea he'd ever had seeing as how she was still delectably naked, and rumpled, and with her swollen lips, so mouthwatering he had to groan.

"Edward," Isabella giggled at him, though she wasn't sure how she was going to let him leave, either.

"If I didn't have to meet with Jasper this morning you know nothing could make me leave you," Edward told her as he picked up her hand.

Surely, that was safe enough, right?

Apparently not because as soon as her tiny hand was inside of his, he lifted it to his mouth and began kissing the back of it.

"What...ah...what time am I meeting you at the penthouse?" Isabella managed to stammer out when she felt his tongue make circles on her skin.

Edward had, between the many lovemaking sessions the night before, told her the rest of his plans for the weekend. They would be spending the weekend at their penthouse apartment in the city. Tonight they would go out for dinner, tomorrow he was surprising her and he wouldn't tell her what was going to happen much to her consternation, and then that evening, they would be attending the opera. Sunday morning they would go to Mass with her family and then return to their home in Evanston.

She'd been to the opera with him before of course, he was a patron supporter after all, but she knew this time was very different from the others. This was going to be their 'coming out' as strange as that was to say, but it was true. She had to admit, she was excited beyond belief. Edward had bought her a new dress and had it waiting at the penthouse he'd told her. He'd planned everything and Isabella was touched more than she could say that he seemed as excited as she was to go out...together.

Edward reluctantly stopped kissing her hand and looked up at her. "I made dinner reservations for seven o'clock. I want to leave the office no later than four so that I can be there when you get done with tutoring. I'm not sure I can wait until after dinner to have you again, my love, so I hope you're not late."

The tone of his voice sent shivers over her body and when she was about to say something they both heard Peter honk the horn out front.

"I have to go, Beautiful. I'll call you in a bit, okay? Get some more rest; you didn't get much last night and we have a busy weekend," he told her sweetly as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"You're wearing your bracelet!" Isabella exclaimed happily.

"Of course. I'm never taking it off. Now you'll be with me, always," he told her and snorted at how cheesy he sounded. It was true, sure, but still.

"I love you," she told him tenderly.

"As I love you. Now rest," he told her once again as he stood up.

"I take it the night was a success?" the smug angel questioned unnecessarily as they headed toward the office.

Edward rolled his eyes and grunted, not even bothering to answer the question.

"Fine, be that way," Seth said and chuckled. He didn't really expect Edward would answer anyway, but it was worth a try. "Are you ready for this weekend?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair and then turned toward the otherworldly being. "In some ways, yes. I'm very much looking forward to showing off my beautiful wife. I'm very much looking forward to spending the weekend with her, too. I'm really looking forward to pissing Vincent off, but the rest, no. I'm not sure I'd ever be ready to face Anna again and I know Carlisle and Esme will be attending the performance as well."

"Showing off your beautiful wife, huh?" Seth said with a hard edge and Edward was immediately reminded of the asinine comment he'd made on the plane what seemed like eons ago.

_Had it really only been a month?_

"You should have kicked my ass for that fucking comment; I would have deserved it. Isabella has never been an 'accessory', " he said, disgusted with himself.

"Glad to hear it," the angel said harshly.

Edward huffed, annoyed at being reprimanded and reminded of how big a fool he'd been. His fingers found their way to the bracelet on his wrist and he felt better immediately.

He wasn't that Edward any longer.

Seth sighed mightily, a bit upset with himself for letting his temper get the best of him. He'd known all along that Edward never meant what he'd said. "I'm sorry, Edward, that was not necessary. I know you've never felt that way about the lovely Isabella," Seth said quietly, well as quietly as he was able.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Edward questioned, even though he knew what the answer was.

"I care about both of you, Edward Anthony. This has never been just an assignment to me. I have my reasons for wanting to undertake this particular task, and perhaps one day I'll share them with you, but I hope you know how much I want you to accomplish everything you need to. It's as much for her as it is for you. You are two very special people," the angel said in a show of very uncharacteristic vulnerability.

"I hope I can do it, too," Edward answered Seth's comment about what was still left to get done.

"Well, this weekend is a good start. Do you plan on talking to Jasper this morning?" Seth questioned, focusing on the task at hand.

Edward nodded, knowing he'd put off speaking with Jasper plenty long enough. "I do. It's way past time and he deserves an explanation as much as the rest of them do. He's been a very good friend for a very long time; he needs to know I appreciate that."

"I totally agree. And, Anna, are you ready to tell Isabella about her?"

"Hell no!" Edward snorted. "I know I have to," he went on quickly. "I should have done it a long time ago, but well, you know why I didn't."

"As long as you tell her before the performance on Saturday night," Seth reminded him.

"No shit. There is no way in hell I'm subjecting Isabella to Anna Davenport without her knowing everything ahead of time. I might be clueless sometimes, but I'm not an idiot," Edward told him.

"Anymore," the angel supplied.

Peter stopped the car in front of the office and Edward gathered his things, thanking Peter when he opened the door. "Peter, will you make sure Charlotte stocks the refrigerator at the penthouse, please?"

"Of course, Mr. Cullen. What time would you like me to pick you up for dinner?" Peter asked.

"Peter, it's Edward, not Mr. Cullen and not, sir, either," Edward told the sweet old man. Over the last month Edward realized what a pompous ass he sounded like when Peter called him Mr. Cullen or sir.

"Yes..s..Edward." Peter smiled at him. "Do you need me to take you and your beautiful wife to dinner?"

Edward chuckled, it seemed as if Isabella had another member of her ever-growing fan club. "No, Peter. We'll use Isabella's car or I'll have her get the Mercedes before she meets me at the penthouse. You and Charlotte enjoy a quiet weekend together. It's been far too long," Edward told him and then shocked himself when he said, "I know I haven't said it, but thank you, both of you, for taking such good care of Isabella and me. I'm quite sure Isabella has been much more appreciative than I have been, and for that, I'm sorry."

Peter practically choked when he opened his mouth to speak. After he cleared his throat he said, "Mr...um, Edward. Really, no apology necessary. It's been my pleasure."

"I highly doubt it's been a picnic, Peter, but thank you for trying to make me feel better."

They shook hands and Edward was pleased to say he felt much better after that unexpected turn of events.

"Well done, Edward," Seth told him once they'd gotten on the elevator.

"It's been way past due. Peter is a good man," Edward answered as the doors opened.

"Yes he is, but so are you. I'll be around if you need me," the angel remarked then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered.

He said good morning to Donna and then pulled out his phone to send his wife a quick text message before Jasper walked in, which he did a few minutes later.

Jasper couldn't help but stop abruptly when he saw Edward smiling like the lovesick fool he obviously was as he pushed the buttons on his phone. Alice was so excited to see Isabella tomorrow night. He tried to tell her not to get her hopes up too much, seeing as how more often than not, Edward didn't attend and if he did, it was hit or miss if Isabella attended with him. Alice was sure Isabella would be there though, especially after she'd spent hours on the phone with Rose discussing, in great detail as he well knew, all the changes they'd seen over the past few weeks.

Jasper cleared his throat to alert Edward to his presence and Edward looked up, not caring in the least he'd been caught acting like a teenager with his girlfriend. "Hey, Jasper," Edward greeted him warmly and stood up to shake his hand.

"Edward," Jasper nodded and smiled. "Damn, who the hell are you and where is the real Edward Cullen?" Jasper teased, though he really wanted an answer.

Edward motioned toward the couch in the sitting area, wanting to sit somewhere comfortable to have this talk. After all, this was Jasper, the best friend, not Jasper, the lawyer, and he wanted to make sure Jasper knew he realized the difference. The two men sat, and though the angel wasn't in the room with them, Edward could feel his presence anyway.

"Edward, talk to me. What in the hell is going on?" Jasper demanded immediately. "Don't sugarcoat it either; you know I can tell if you lie to me. If you've got some terminal illness or something, I can handle it, just tell me what the fuck has been up with you for the past month."

Jasper had held his tongue, watching and waiting, for the past few weeks. It was the only explanation he could come up with. He'd convinced himself that Edward had contracted some strange disease or found out he was dying of some ailment; nothing else made any damn sense at all.

Edward wanted to laugh but there really wasn't anything funny about what Jasper just said, not to mention the way he'd said it, so Edward stopped himself. "Jas, I'm not sick or anything like that, I promise," he answered his friend, purposely not mentioning dying.

"Then what is up with you, man?" Jasper asked again.

Edward leaned back against the sofa, deciding how much to tell his best friend. Choosing to go with the flow, he answered, "Jasper, you know better than anyone all the shit I've had to deal with all these years. Between Grandfather, Carlisle, taking over the company, dealing with Vincent, Anna, Sophie, not to mention my own fucked up childhood, I was a fucking mess. Carrying around all that anger and bitterness turned me into someone I never wanted to be, made me act in ways I'm totally ashamed of, and I hurt people I love, Isabella especially, but you, Em, Rose, Esme, too. That damn plane ride was a wake-up call and made me realize just how truly awful I'd been. I'm trying, Jas, I really am, to be a better husband, a better brother, and a better friend. I've been given a second chance by Isabella and Em and Rose and I hope you'll give me one, too."

"Edward, do you know in all the years we have known each other, and we're talking close to fifteen years now, that is the first time I've ever heard you mention anything about before you went to live with Carlisle and Esme?" Jasper asked.

Edward chuckled, though it wasn't in amusement. "I'm not the least bit surprised to be honest with you. I've spent twenty years trying not to think about it, you know?" Edward questioned.

"It was really bad, wasn't it?" Jasper had no idea what his friend had been through, but it was obvious it was something bad enough to turn him into the man he became.

"There are plenty of people who have been through more than me, Jasper. I'm not too proud to admit that, but yeah, to answer your question, it was bad," Edward answered honestly.

"But you're still here, Edward, trying to be better. That says a hell of a lot about the man you are if you ask me. As for a second chance, you know you don't need to ask. I'm your friend, Edward, and nothing is going to change that," Jasper told him sincerely.

Edward grinned at him and let out a long, cleansing breath. He reached up to run his hand through his hair when Jasper said, "Edward, what the hell is that?" as he pointed to his bracelet.

This time Edward did chuckle in amusement, if only at his friend's shocked tone. He supposed it wasn't a normal Edward Cullen thing to wear a bracelet, but damn. He brought his hand down and held his arm in front of him, running his other fingers across the colored rubber and smiled. "It's a friendship bracelet. I got one for Isabella, too, but hers is green. You know you're my best friend, hell you've been one of my only friends for as long as I can remember, but... she's...I just...I mean..." Edward stammered, having a really hard time explaining.

"She's your best, best friend. I got it, Edward. It's the same with Alice. I'm happy for you, man, really. I haven't ever seen you like this. It's nice to see," Jasper said with a genuine smile.

The two men changed the topic to business, having had enough emotion to last them for a while. Edward and Jasper discussed the project Emmett and Isabella were working on, remarking more than a few times how they each couldn't wait to see what Vincent Sinclair's reaction was going to be. Neither Edward nor Jasper believed for one moment that the man didn't have someone inside the company feeding him information. Edward had always been aware of that and normally he couldn't have cared less. Vincent was always one step behind him in everything and as long as that remained the case, Edward didn't see any reason to get overly worried. Of course this project was different because Isabella was so intricately involved so he would be sure to be extra diligent as far as she was concerned. Vincent Sinclair wasn't to be trusted at all.

Once Jasper left, after agreeing to meet Edward and Isabella for a drink during the first intermission on Saturday, Edward got to work and spent the rest of the morning putting out fires and checking on things. By the time the clock approached four o'clock, Edward couldn't wait to leave and focus on Isabella and their weekend. Yes, there was a bit of business to do on Saturday night, but the weekend was for her and he was determined to make it one she would remember!

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**That was part one of Edward's plans for Isabella's birthday. Wasn't he cute? Next chapter we will finally hear about Anna and then we'll move on to the opera. I'm so excited, and a bit nervous too, to get to these next few chapters. I've loved writing them, but there are a few twists that took me a bit by surprise!**

**I'll be posting a teaser on Fictionators tomorrow, as well as the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab and the new pictures under the story images! Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Oh, we've also added a picture of Gideon and re-labeled the pictures with an incredible new font! Go look! Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I've answered a couple questions it seems lots of you have had, and I'll be happy to answer any more.**

**www(.)les16(.)proboards(.)com**

**I've signed up to take part in the Fandom Against Domestic Violence fundraiser that began on Feb. 1st. I have submitted an outtake from TGG in which we will Seth as a human and how exactly he died and became an angel. You'll get a compilation of works of over 100+ authors including my friends prettykittyartist, aydenmorgen, and sparklingwand to name a few- for only a $10 donation. It's for a great cause, so please donate!** **I've posted the amazing banner lizzylilyrose made for me to go along with the outtake on the blog, so please go look! There is a link to the FADV website on my blog and profile if you'd like more information! www(.)fandomagainstdomesticviolence(.)blogspot(.)com**

**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see Jasper and finally...Alice! So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, it's Isabella's birthday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**The Greatest Gift has been nominated for 3 Shimmer Awards! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to whomever nominated me! Please take a moment and check out all the wonderful people and works that are nominated. (I know this looks weird, but just copy and paste and add the periods where needed. You can only vote once!) Winners will be announced Feb. 20th.**

**www(dot)kwiksurveys(dot)com/online-survey(dot)php?surveyID=IJHOGK_f086411a**

**The Greatest Gift has also been nominated for 5 Inspired FanFic Awards. These awards are for the lesser reviewed stories and there are a lot of wonderful stories that all deserve the recognition. Please take a few minutes to take a look! The form is really confusing, I know, but there are so many wonderful authors like my friends: eternally addicted, rtgirl, AydenMorgen, prettykittyartist, justginger, Sherryola and more...so give them all some love!**

**www (.)inspiredfanficawards(.)blogspot(.)**

***I want to take a moment to wish a very special someone a Happy Birthday tomorrow. I love you...and yes, there are less shadows in the doorway~**

**Now…on with the story! ~*~ LEMON ALERT *~*~**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 16**

Isabella rushed home to switch cars after her tutoring was finished. She hated driving Edward's car, but she loved riding in it, and more than that, loved to see Edward driving it! There was something about seeing him behind the wheel of the powerful car that she found incredibly sexy. _Not that Edward needed any help in that department_ , she thought as she parked her car in the garage.

Thankfully, her wonderfully foresighted husband had had them get their things together during a very brief intermission between lovemaking sessions last night. Charlotte had dropped their bags off at the penthouse when she stocked the refrigerator earlier in the day for them so all she had to do was grab his extra set of keys, set the alarm, and head into the city. She was so excited about the weekend and the fact that Edward had gone to so much trouble to plan everything, all the way down to her dress.

He was so sweet and endearing and just so Edward about the whole thing. Between seeing him with her father last week, the new bedroom surprise, and then the friendship bracelets, she still had a big stupid, goofy smile on her face whenever she thought about it all. She thought about how he had looked when he explained why he chose the colors he did and every time she did, she felt her heart swell, to the point she was sure it couldn't hold anymore.

Her phone chirped, alerting her to an incoming text message and once she hit the next red light, reached over and picked it up.

_**Getting ready to leave the office. Hope you're on your way to the penthouse. I've missed you today, Beautiful. Love you, E~** _

She sighed, one of those dreamy, breathless sighs and felt her stomach fill with butterflies. She had a feeling the weekend would be a magical one and she couldn't wait.

"Eddie, would you stop fidgeting?" Seth groaned when Edward kept bouncing his knee up and down in the back of the cab they were in on their way to the penthouse.

Edward threw his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, breathing in and out through his nose. He had been so excited about this weekend ever since he'd come up with the idea. It wasn't as if he was doing anything all that special or out of the ordinary, well for him maybe it was, but it really wasn't all that much. Sure, in the past if Isabella had went with him to the opera in the first place, it was unlikely they would have spent the weekend at the penthouse together. He knew for a fact, as painful as it was to admit, he wouldn't have been looking forward to introducing her to anyone and everyone. He damn well knew, if he _had_ introduced her, it would not have been done with the overflowing love and pride he now felt.

"I'm really fucking nervous about telling her about Anna," Edward told the annoying angel person.

"No shit, I never would have guessed." Seth snickered and let his eyes twinkle when Edward growled at him. "Edward, knock it off. If you would have done this a long time ago like any normal person would have, you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."

Edward huffed, pissed off that Seth was right yet again. "Yes, damn it, I know that." He turned and stared out the window as the cab wove in and out of traffic. "She's going to be so disappointed in me when I tell her everything."

Seth sighed and shook his head. Even after everything Edward and Isabella shared, Edward still didn't fully believe how much she loved him and accepted everything about him, the good and the bad. "Boy, I swear you make me want to pull my hair out. Edward, she married you, gave you her heart and her body without asking anything in return. She's loved you every day since, even when you've been an ass. She doesn't know about your parents, William, what you heard Carlisle say, or anything else. She doesn't know about Anna and Sophie and yet, I dare say, she loves you more today than she did even yesterday. You have got to learn to trust her, completely, Edward Anthony. She deserves nothing less and she shouldn't expect anything less either if you want me to be perfectly blunt."

"I know," Edward said quietly.

"Look, let me just lay it straight out for you so you fully understand what I'm saying here. My friend, stop thinking you need to be perfect; you're not and you're never going to be. Ever. You've got more flaws than I can count on both my hands, and probably more than on both my feet, too. You're stubborn, difficult, scared of your own feelings, a bit on the arrogant side, and you've got the extremely annoying habit of being a supreme pain in my ass - just to name a few. You're going to make mistakes, Edward, plenty of them. She's not perfect either, as hard as that is for me to admit, and you need to take her off the pedestal you've put her on or else you're going to be in for a rude awakening when she makes her own mistakes," Seth said very seriously and made sure Edward was paying very close attention to what he was saying.

"But together, Edward Anthony, you are perfect," he went on to say, using the same words Isabella had told Edward last night.

"You were watching?" Edward hissed, furious that Seth would do that after he asked him not to.

Seth's ice blue eyes blazed brightly as he stared back at his charge. "Absolutely not. You asked me not to and I told you I wouldn't. I would never disrespect either of you that way, Edward. I can't believe you'd even think so," Seth huffed, hurt that Edward would believe he was capable of such a thing.

Edward shrank back in his seat, embarrassed that he even for one second thought Seth would do anything like that. "I'm sorry. Isabella just said the same thing last night during an, um, very intimate and intense moment," Edward told Seth.

"Hmph. Smart woman though," Seth said, mollified somewhat.

"Unquestionably."

"You need to tell her tonight," Seth told him pointedly.

Edward felt his stomach churn but he knew he had to do it. "I will," he promised.

The cab pulled up in front of the penthouse and the doorman hurried to open Edward's door. "Edward, this is a huge turning point for you this weekend. I've left you alone for the most part about telling Isabella about your parents, but after this weekend, don't expect that to continue on. There is still much to do," Seth warned him.

"I know. It's not like you'd let me forget anyway. Let me get through this weekend and I'll work on the rest of it, okay?" Edward half begged, half demanded.

"You can't put it off any longer," the otherworldly being said and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered as soon as he'd gone. The doorman opened his door, greeting him by name.

Edward stepped on the elevator, punching in the code for the penthouse floor and took a few deep breaths. Isabella hadn't answered his text so he had no idea if she was here yet or not. He really fucking hoped she was.

The doors of the elevator opened and he let himself into the penthouse from the foyer. He dropped his keys and briefcase on the dining room table and went in search of his wife. He heard a noise in their room and headed toward it. Once he got there, he leaned against the door frame while he watched her.

Fuck, she was so damn beautiful.

She had turned on the iPod that was in the docking station and was dancing to the happy sounds of Jack Johnson. She was humming softly and had the sweetest smile on her face as she pulled her clothes for the evening out of the closet.

"Hmmm hmmm," Edward cleared his throat and chuckled when she whipped her head in his direction. "Hi, Beautiful," he said in a silky, sinful voice.

"You're here," she said on a breathless sigh. If the smile on her face was any indication, she was just as excited about the upcoming weekend as he was. There might be things he needed to talk about and people he was required to see that he'd rather not, but the prospect of spending the entire weekend with his wife was so enticing he couldn't help but hope that the weekend turned out like he wanted it to.

He pushed off the door frame and sauntered over to her, stopping just in front of her. "So I am," he told her as he stared at her.

She had just taken a shower and had on a short, silk robe. Her hair was still wet and when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, he realized that she was warm and soft and smelled like heaven.

"Jesus, you smell fucking incredible," he growled in her ear when he bent his head down to nuzzle the side of her neck, and because he went crazy whenever she was pressed against him like she was, he flicked his tongue out and licked up the side of her neck. "Mmmm, you taste good, too."

The second she felt his warm tongue against her skin, Isabella felt a flood of heat between her legs and it had nothing to do with the shower she'd just taken and everything to do with the man that currently had his lips attached to the side of her neck. She threw her head back inviting him to explore every inch, feeling the wet tendrils of her hair against her back.

He walked them backward until she was pressed up against the glass windows that lined the entire wall of their bedroom. His hands slid beneath the soft, cool material of her robe and cupped her ass, hissing when he realized she was naked beneath the flimsy material. He moved his mouth from her neck to her lips, kissing her deeply.

After kissing her until he was dizzy he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. He gave her a devilish, crooked grin and laid his hands on the window beside her head. "If we didn't have reservations for dinner, you do realize I'd take you right here, right now against these windows, don't you?"

Isabella gasped and felt her stomach tighten as she watched his eyes turn from their normal bright green to almost black. As his words seeped into her thoughts, she had to admit she wasn't sure she would mind that, not in the least. Eating was overrated anyway, especially when compared to having her husband inside of her.

Before she knew what was happening, he'd spun her around so that she faced the windows. He pressed himself tightly against her, letting her feel just how much he wanted her. He pushed the loose robe off her shoulders and immediately covered her naked skin with his mouth, kissing and nipping his way from left to right. "I think maybe, I'll take you, just like this, tonight. Looking out over the city, not knowing who can see us and who can't. What do you think about that, my Isabella?" he whispered in a dark, deep voice. He'd slipped his hand under her robe and splayed it across her lower abdomen. He could feel the heat from between her legs and it was all he could do not to plunge his fingers deep inside of her.

Isabella felt her nipples harden, felt the cool glass against them. Mixed with the steamy words coming out of his mouth, she tingled all over. She reached her hand back and dug her nails into the firm muscles of his thigh. "Oh...shit...ah..." she rasped when he rubbed his erection against her ass.

Edward chuckled, the sound velvety smooth, at her loss of control. Fuck if he didn't love watching her let go like that but he knew they needed to stop if there was any hope at all of making it to the restaurant. And honestly, as much as he didn't want to tell her about Anna, he knew he didn't want it hanging over his head either. He pecked her shoulder one last time and then very reluctantly slid his hand out from under her robe and covered her shoulders back up.

When she turned around and looked at him, her eyes were dilated and her cheeks were flushed a delicious shade of pink. It was a struggle to not give in and just make love to her, but he wanted the night to be perfect and it wouldn't be until he'd talked to her.

_Damn angel_ , he muttered silently in his head.

He reached down and grabbed her hand, hoping she wasn't too upset with him. He smiled when he noticed her bracelet on her wrist, realizing she put it right back on as soon as she'd gotten done with her shower. That thought made him very happy indeed.

"I really want to take you to dinner, Beautiful. I promise to pick this up later, if you're still willing, when we get back," Edward said with a frown. He really hoped telling her about Anna wouldn't upset her too much.

"Edward?" she questioned, immediately alarmed by the sudden change in the tone of his voice and the frown.

The frown was quickly replaced with a sexy smile. "Let's just get ready to go and enjoy dinner. I'm starving. Besides, I can't wait to see you in that," he said with a wink when he pointed with his chin to the sexy dress lying on the bed. It was a deep, dark cranberry color, very short, very low cut dress and Edward was positive that as soon as she had it on he'd want to rip it off her. On the floor beside the bed was a pair of sinful silver strappy sandals and he felt himself getting hard just imagining her in nothing but the shoes as he made love to her against the windows.

He really hoped she didn't get upset with him.

Isabella couldn't help but giggle at him because she could see the conflicting emotions on his face. "You need to let me go, sweetheart, if you want to leave. Of course, we could always stay here," she teased as she ran her hand down his chest.

"Shameful temptress, I'm telling you," Edward groaned and then rolled his eyes at her. "I'm taking a shower, a very cold one. The reservations are for seven," he said before he kissed her and then went to go cool off.

He took as cold a shower as he could stand and tried not to freak himself out about the impending conversation. He recalled the words the annoying angel person told him earlier though, and they seemed to help. He knew Isabella loved him and he also knew he owed it to her to be completely honest with her, no matter how unflattering it might be.

Once he'd finished his shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist, smiling when he saw a glass of scotch waiting for him on the nightstand beside the bed, but no Isabella. He figured she was in the guest bedroom getting ready so he drank the scotch in one long drink hoping to settle his nerves. He pulled out a black suit and a dark charcoal gray dress shirt and found a tie that matched her dress. Cheesy? Eh, maybe, but he didn't care. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, tying his shoes when he heard Isabella walk in. When he looked up, he swore every ounce of breath he had whooshed out of him. He also felt his pants tighten and his blood race as he took her in.

"Fuck," he said on a long breath.

He stood up, never taking his eyes off her as his eyes traveled over her body. From her pin-straight hair down to the toenails that were painted the same deep cranberry as her dress. She was mesmerizing.

"I'm going to be the most hated man in the restaurant tonight, Isabella. You take my breath away," he told her in an uneven breath.

Her body reacted to his words and then she felt her heart stutter when she realized what he was wearing. His hair was the usual sexy mess on top of his head. The dark shirt and suit fit his body to perfection and the tie made his eyes seem even more green, or maybe it was just the way he stared at her.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Cullen," she said and then bit her bottom lip.

Edward helped her with her leather coat and then slipped her hand inside of his. "We have to get the hell out of here, now, or else I can't be held accountable for my actions," he practically growled at her as he pulled her through the penthouse.

They decided to walk to the restaurant because it wasn't too far; though Isabella had to assure him numerous times that she'd be fine. Even though there were many world famous restaurants in Chicago he could have taken her to, Edward decided on a small, out of the way Indian place. Jasper had told him about it after taking Alice there one night, and he wanted to go somewhere they would have some privacy. Tomorrow night they were going to be surrounded by a lot of people; he wanted tonight to be quieter, more intimate.

The hostess showed them to their booth, tucked in the back corner. Edward ordered a bottle of red wine and once their waiter left with their dinner order, he poured them each a glass of wine and made a toast.

"Happy Birthday, my love. I hope you get everything you wish for," he told her softly as they tipped their glasses against each others.

"All I need is you, so I already have everything I could want," Isabella told him, meaning it completely.

Edward leaned over and brushed a quick kiss across her lips, careful not to smudge her lipstick. "I love you so fucking much," he whispered before he pulled back.

They sat as close as they could, whispering and touching until their food came and they had to separate, though neither was too happy about having to do so.

After they'd eaten for a few minutes, Edward said, "I can't tell you much I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

Isabella wiped her mouth and nodded her head enthusiastically. "Oh, me, too! I love _Faust_ and this rendition is supposed to be spectacular," she said and Edward smiled at how excited she truly seemed. "I suppose you'll have to do a bit of business while we're there?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, although, we are meeting Jasper and Alice after the first intermission for a drink. Jasper said Alice is very excited to see you," he told her with a chuckle wondering if there was a time Alice Whitlock wasn't excited about something.

Isabella clapped adorably. "I can't wait to see her; it's been such a long time. Emmett told me Vincent Sinclair will also be there? Will we be seeing him?" she asked and Edward knew this was the opening he'd been waiting for.

"Yes...and yes, to answer both your questions. Isabella, before we go tomorrow night there is something I need to tell you and I know I should have done this a long time ago. Um..." he said and then blew out a nervous breath. "Vincent will more than likely be accompanied by Anna Davenport and while normally you wouldn't care about who was going as whose date, in this case you might."

Isabella could feel her eyebrows dip as she tried to understand what Edward was telling her. "Beautiful, Anna and I were in a relationship for almost two years; two really long, regrettable damn years to be honest with you."

She gasped once she comprehended what he was saying. She knew, of course, that there had been other women before her. He'd admitted that much when they'd had the required and very awkward sex talk when they first started dating. She didn't ask for details and honestly speaking, she didn't need them either. She didn't want names and dates and she certainly didn't want an exact number, especially for the casual relationships, but dating someone for two years was NOT casual. Looking the way he did and being the person he was, she was surprised and very relieved that he hadn't slept with half of Chicago before they'd gotten married.

But...Anna Davenport? Holy hell. Isabella was a very confident woman. She knew she was pretty and Edward certainly told her she was beautiful often enough, but still. Isabella had no problem standing beside Rose and Alice and they were the two most beautiful women she knew. Blonde bombshell. That was the first thought she had when she pictured Anna.

Once she'd gotten over her shock, she finally registered what he'd said and how he'd said it. It wasn't a relationship he looked back on with fondness, that was obvious.

"What happened?" she asked as she scooted closer to him, needing to be as close as possible.

"Judging from your reaction you obviously know who she is, yes?" he asked and when she nodded he began. "Isabella, before I go any further I need you to know that you are the only woman I've ever loved, the only one I will ever love. You believe me, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course I believe you, Edward. Now, tell me about Anna," Isabella said and reached up on the table and covered his hand with her small one. He turned his hand over and laced their fingers together, feeling so much better being connected to her.

"Love, I don't really know how to explain it so that it makes any sense. We met at some charity thing Grandfather made me go to. He was pushing me to get married, kept telling me that it would be good for the company. Anna's father and grandfather are well-known attorneys and Grandfather thought we would be a perfect match. He introduced us and one thing kind of led to another. I can't lie and tell you she's not a beautiful woman, because she is, but that is all there is to her. I knew from the get-go that she didn't have any real feelings for me, other than what my name meant and what I could do for her.

"A few dates turned into a few months until before I knew it, she was living with me. I know that doesn't sound at all like me, especially knowing what you do now, but that is what I meant when I said I wasn't sure I could explain. I know having her live with me kept Grandfather off my back because to him the next logical step would have been to get engaged and get married. I know it helped keep up the façade. In all honesty, I didn't mind so much, especially because I spent even more time at the office and traveling when Grandfather was alive than I did when we first got married. Anna didn't seem to be too bothered by it, after all once she'd moved in, she had access to limousines, private jets, and all that supposedly comes with being Edward Cullen's girlfriend," he said with a scoff.

"I knew she was using me, but I used her, too. With the way I was, it was so easy being with someone I didn't have to worry about hurting, or getting hurt myself. Grandfather seemed to approve, Anna and I made appearances when we had to, but we allowed each other to do our own things. Apparently for Anna doing her own thing meant doing Vincent Sinclair...in my own bed if you can believe it."

He squeezed her hand and then got to the crux of it all. "I know I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was and to be perfectly honest, it really fucking hurt, too. I might not have been the most pleasant of people to be around, I can admit that, but I still at least tried to be amicable. We might have been using each other for our own reasons, but I did try to be at least respectful. I never cheated on her, if you could even call it that. And then to have her do that to me, with him especially, it really fucking pissed me off and as much as I tried to not let it affect me, it did."

Edward picked their hands up off the table and turned them over so he could kiss the back of her hand. "Beautiful, I know I haven't told you a lot about my birth parents or what my life in Ireland was like before Carlisle and Esme took me in. I'm working on changing that, I promise, but know this; from a very early age I learned that I couldn't really rely on anyone but myself. I learned that I couldn't trust anyone because when I did, I only wound up getting disappointed. I learned that it was better not to try to love anyone because when I did, I was the one that got hurt. I didn't love Anna, not even close, but for her to just disregard me that way sort of just reinforced everything I already felt. That I couldn't trust anyone, that I couldn't allow myself to get close to anyone...that I couldn't love anyone because they wouldn't love me back. I don't mean to sound like one of those emo kids or whatever the hell you call them; you know the ones that think their lives are so terrible and no one else's could possibly be as bad as theirs, but shit, Isabella, until you came along and knocked me on my ass," he told her with a grin, "I never even wanted to try to love anyone. Getting hurt again just wasn't worth it to me, wasn't worth risking it...until you.

"Even though I acted like a bastard and I hurt you, I couldn't let you go. I couldn't stop thinking about you and even though I was terrified of getting too close to you, you owned me from the very first moment," he finished softly. "I've loved you for over five years now Isabella Marie, every day, and you're the only woman I'll ever love."

Isabella stared at her wonderful, amazing, incredible and a whole slew of other superlatives she couldn't even think of husband, wishing she could crawl in his lap and never move. In the next instant she damned one Anna Davenport to the fiery pits of hell for treating him in such a horrid way.

Bitch.

"Anna and Vincent have been together all this time?" she asked, the question popping out before she could stop herself. Oh, she wanted to address everything he'd told her, but instantly knew it would be better to do so in private.

Edward blew out a tense breath, still unsure of how she'd taken everything. He took a swallow of his wine and then answered her with a shrug of his shoulder. "From what I've heard over the years is that ah...shortly after our...mutual disentanglement or whatever you want to call it, she left town for awhile. I didn't really care as I'm sure you can understand, but I've had to deal with Vincent plenty over the years so I knew at some point in time they crossed paths again and have been together ever since. I imagine, knowing both of them like I do, they find it somewhat mutually beneficial to be together. He gets someone nice to look at on his arm and she gets to do whatever she wants with someone else's money. A match made in heaven if you ask me," he said, sounding somewhat harsh about the whole thing.

"We'll be seeing them both, tomorrow night?" Isabella questioned, trying to sound innocent as she ran her fingertip around the rim of her wine glass.

Edward chuckled when he heard the bite of her voice, though she didn't try to hide it very well he thought. "Yes, love. Vincent never misses the opening performance, especially if he knows I'll be there. For some reason the man is under the delusion that I give a shit what he does in his private life and who he does it with."

"I thought I was looking forward to tomorrow night before, now I really can't wait," Isabella said with a growl.

No one treated her Edward that way and got away with it. Vincent Sinclair and Anna Davenport were about to learn that the hard way if she had anything to say about it.

"Down, tiger," he said and kissed the side of her head.

Isabella turned and held his face in her hands. "Edward Anthony Cullen, let's get something straight, shall we? Our marriage hasn't been perfect, we both know that, but I love you and you love me. You're my husband, my Edward and I'll be damned if I let anyone treat you like you're unworthy or beneath them. You may have used Anna, but you didn't lie to her. She knew perfectly well what she was getting into. For her to think so little of you that she could do that to you just shows what kind of woman she is...a heartless bitch. Don't even get me started on that bastard Vincent Sinclair. He can't hold a candle to you and he knows it. He's done everything from trying to steal your supposed girlfriend and sleeping with her in your bed to doing underhanded and unethical things to steal your clients. As Alec would say, fuck him, as a matter-of-fact fuck them both," she huffed and blew her hair out of her face.

"Ignorante scopa pezzi di merda tentando di ferire la mia Eduardo, io farò vedere!" _Fucking pieces of shit trying to hurt my Edward, I'll show them!_

Hearing her fierce words coupled with the Italian she just muttered sent Edward over the edge. "Fuck, Isabella," he groaned and then crushed his mouth against hers, hungrily.

"No one has ever done that for me before," he whispered, sounding almost like he was in pain, when in all matter-of-fact he'd never felt so good.

Fuck that, he felt like he was Superman.

"I need you...now," he ground out doing everything he could not to throw her on the table and take her right then and there.

"Take me home, Edward."

He waved the waiter over and paid the check, leaving a huge tip because they had cut their dinner short. He helped her put her coat back on and then hung onto her hand as they walked back to the penthouse. Neither said anything; they didn't need to.

Once they reached the penthouse, they rode the elevator up to the penthouse in a charged, electricity laden silence. While Edward could think of nothing except the way she'd defended him, Isabella could think of nothing except how alone Edward had been all his life it seemed. Even when he'd been taken in by Esme and Carlisle, he held himself back.

Never again, she vowed.

They entered the penthouse, completely silent except for their breathing and stared at one another for countless moments before they each gave into the irrepressible need they felt. Her coat was flung across the room when Edward slid it down her arms, followed by his suit jacket. Isabella loosened his tie and then pulled it over his head. He stepped out of his shoes while her shaking fingers fumbled with the belt on his pants. He frantically ripped his shirt, not caring in the least when he heard the buttons skid across the floor. Off came his boxers and his socks and he watched with lust-crazed eyes when she let her dress fall to the floor.

She bent over, intending to take her shoes off when he said in a voice that didn't sound at all like his own, "The shoes stay on."

With that, he picked her up, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist and he walked her toward the windows he promised to take her against just a few hours ago. When he had her pressed against the glass he plunged his hands in her hair and attacked her mouth with his, letting her feel every bit of his possessiveness, his need, and his overwhelming love for her.

"You have no fucking idea what you do to me," he hissed as she shifted against him, rubbing his aching and very hard erection. "How you absolutely own me. My heart, my body, my soul, every piece of me belongs to you, Isabella," he managed to say between kisses.

"No one has ever loved me the way you do. No one has ever protected me and believed in me like you do," he said as he moved his mouth to her neck, biting her none to gently on her pulse point. "No one has ever meant as much to me as you. You're my everything, my reason," he breathed and then moved his lips tantalizingly, slowly across her collarbones.

"La mia ragione," he whispered against the swell of her breast when he pulled the delicate fabric of her bra down.

Isabella leaned her head back against the window as Edward's mouth, lips, and tongue were doing wickedly delicious things to her body, but when she heard the Italian escape from his lips, she snapped her head up. She gasped as she stared at him.

"La mia ragione," he whispered again, staring deep into her eyes. "I mean it, Isabella, with all that I am."

He leaned forward again and kissed her, no less passionately but less frantically, so that he felt every bit of her tongue, felt her hard nipples against his chest, felt the heat from between her legs seep through her panties. He set her down on her feet and slowly slid her barely there and quite ruined panties down her legs trailing his fingers across her skin as the skimpy undergarment fell to the floor. He ran his hands back up her legs, skirting the place he wanted to touch more than anything and rested his hands on her waist. "Turn around, Beautiful," he told her softly.

Isabella turned around, staring out into the night. The lights of the city twinkled beyond the glass, shining almost like stars. She could faintly see Lake Michigan, though she wasn't trying real hard either. She felt Edward step behind her, the heat from his body emanating outward. He ghosted his hands across her back and undid her bra, pushing it off her shoulders. He reached down and grabbed her hands and raised them above her head, laying them flat against the glass. "Leave them here," he ordered. She bent her head down and he placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her head until her eyes found his in the reflection in the glass. "Watch," he breathed out.

He grabbed her hair and swept it over her right shoulder and then immediately ran his nose up and down the side of her exposed neck. He opened his eyes and found hers, following his every move. "Good girl," he praised and then curled his tongue around her earlobe. He pressed his erection against her ass and his hands moved to cover her breasts. "Do you see us, Isabella? Do you see how fucking perfect we look together?" he questioned, holding her gaze until she nodded her head wordlessly as she let an uneven breath escape her lips. He was so damn hard, painfully so, and he felt like if he wasn't inside of her soon he would go mad, but the torture of waiting was so sweet.

He kneaded her breasts, pinching her nipples between his fingers. His mouth, teeth, and tongue continued to ravage her neck, her shoulders, the spot behind her ear. He lowered one hand and slid his fingers through her slick folds, before finding her bundle of nerves.

Isabella couldn't help but close her eyes as her body reacted to his touch. She felt like she was floating but she could also feel him...everywhere. He completely consumed her until she wasn't sure where she ended and he began. He stilled his exquisite teasing and she whimpered.

"Open your eyes, Isabella. Now."

She again picked her head up and stared at him in the window. Even in the reflection she felt like she could see straight into his soul his eyes burned so intensely. "Watch as you come for me, because of me," he said in thick, rough voice. He dipped his middle finger down and pushed it deep inside of her while circling her most sensitive flesh with the pad of his thumb. With his other hand he pinched her pebbled nipple and he sucked at the skin of her neck.

"Edward, oh..." Isabella cried out, feeling too much at one time.

"Come for me, Beautiful," he commanded, soothing the burn of his teeth with his tongue. "Watch and let go."

Isabella stared at him, her mouth forming a perfect 'o' as she felt the coil twist tighter and tighter deep within her. "Oh, God," she panted as her body continued to climb and climb. She curled her hands into fists, but didn't move them from over her head. "Edward...yes...oh fuck..."

Edward got even more painfully hard at the word, but still he went on. He needed to watch her fall apart, needed to feel it as she came. "Come, Isabella. I want to feel you come and then I'm going to be buried so deep inside of you, I'll touch places you've only dreamed about," he rasped in her ear.

His words sent her spiraling and when he pressed down hard on her swollen pleasure point, she exploded, coming so hard her legs shook. But still, she kept her eyes focused solely on his in the window.

"Fuck, do you see how magnificent you look when you come?" Edward asked, almost to himself. He continued to move his fingers in perfect concert with each other until she came again. "Perfect," he praised.

He lined up his straining erection with her entrance and slid deep inside of her in one stroke. As soon as he felt her warm heat completely engulf him, he groaned, thinking that he had never felt anything as good before in his life. Each time they made love and he thought it couldn't get any better, he was proven wrong, but this time, he was sure it had never felt quite like this. "Do you see what I see, Isabella? Have you ever seen anything so fucking incredible in your life?" he questioned. "The way we look together, the way we are a part of each other." He looked down, enthralled while he watched himself slide in and out of her. It was the most erotic, sensual thing he'd ever seen.

He raised one arm and laid it over hers, uncurling her fingers so he could weave their fingers together. With the other hand he laid it over her stomach pulling her back into him. He kept up his steady motion, going deeper and deeper inside of her. "La mia ragione," he whispered again.

"Il mio cuore e l'anima appartiene solo a te," she said back, her brown eyes filling with tears. _My heart and soul belong to you alone._

"I love you," Edward choked out, overwhelmed by all he was feeling.

"Ti amo con tutto cio che sono," she said back. _I love you with all that I am._

He might not have understood what she said, but he knew what she meant. He felt himself grow impossibly harder inside of her and he suddenly needed to feel her fall apart again. "I'm so close, baby. Come with me, please?"

He bent his knees and thrust hard into her and he felt her muscles squeeze him. "That's it, Isabella. Come."

She couldn't wait any longer and let go, feeling her body reach a level of ecstasy she didn't even know existed.

"Jesus...oh fuck...yesssss..." Edward moaned as he released in a powerful burst inside of her. He felt her squeeze and pulsate around him as she came again.

He stilled his movements, feeling the aftershocks as her body shuddered around him. He lowered her arms, rubbing them because he was sure they were sore from holding them in the same position for so long. He wanted to say something, but he was at loss to come up with the words that could add anything to what they just shared.

Isabella stared at her husband in the reflection of the glass, feeling her arms burn, but having Edward's hands rub them up and down made her forget all about it. She was afraid to move, afraid to speak for fear of ruining what was, without a doubt, the most intense, amazing thing she had ever experienced. She couldn't really even comprehend it all.

Edward was always a very passionate lover, but what they had just shared was on a whole different plane. Fierce, controlling, but not domineering. Intense, powerful, all the things that she absolutely loved about him. She loved her husband, madly, and he was as sweet and vulnerable and romantic as he could possibly be, but there were times he let that persona crack and out came the Edward she'd just experienced. She really loved that Edward, craved him sometimes. The one that could control her entire body with just his voice or with his touch.

He slid from her body, loathing that loss of connection. Though it might have been possible to stay in their current position for the rest of the night, for he surely did not want to move, he knew she had to be exhausted. He glanced down and stared at his hand where it rested on her waist and was once again reminded of how perfectly she fit against him.

He swept his hand down over the curve of her ass and whispered, "So damn perfect."

Isabella finally turned from the windows and looked at him. When he met her eyes with his own, she felt as if they were the only two people in the world, as if nothing else existed or mattered except for them. She reached for his hand and then stepped closer to him. With her other hand she ran her fingertips down his cheek. "Now you know what I've known all along, Edward," she told him softly.

He nodded and then bent down and picked her up. He carried her to the bathroom where he set her on the counter, chuckling when she shrieked when the cold marble touched her heated, naked skin. He reached in the shower and turned on the water, and the bathroom filled with steam. He groaned when he leaned over and undid her sexy shoes.

"You will wear those again," he ordered and grinned when she snorted and then nodded her head. He rubbed each of her feet once they were freed from their confines and Isabella couldn't help but moan in appreciation.

She let him help her stand up, grateful when he wrapped an arm around her. Her legs were still wobbly and to be honest she was a tad bit sore.

"Shit. I didn't hurt you did I, Beautiful?" Edward questioned nervously when he noticed the wince on her gorgeous face. He anxiously ran his hands over her body, trying to soothe wherever he'd hurt her.

"Edward, stop. I'm fine, absolutely and blissfully fine," she told him, stilling his hands.

"Yeah?" he asked with a crooked, wicked grin.

"Yes. As if you didn't know that already."

"Come shower with me, and let me see what I can do about those sore muscles, my love," Edward told her as he led her into the huge shower.

They lovingly touched and kissed and washed each other until the water turned cold. He wrapped her in a soft fluffy towel and then tied one around his waist. They climbed into bed having said very little. Words weren't necessary. They were so in tune with each other, both riding a wave of intimacy so deep and meaningful there wasn't a way to describe it even if they'd tried.

Edward settled himself against the headboard and pulled Isabella up on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair and over her back. "I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you about Anna, love," he whispered after a few minutes, shaking Isabella out of the dazed state she was just in.

She squeezed him with the arm she had draped over his chest. "Well, I wish you would have told me sooner, but I understand why you didn't. I'm just sorry you were hurt the way you were by her," she said and couldn't stop the tiny rumble when she thought of the vile woman. In all actuality she was a bit miffed that he'd never told her about Anna before, too, especially because it would have explained so much, but she'd told him they weren't living in the past, so she had to take her own advice.

He reached down and tipped her chin up so she could look at him. "Isabella, it's not okay that I didn't tell you a long time ago about Anna. I know that and it's fine for you to tell me it's not okay, too. I'm well aware of what I was like when we first got together and then when we got married. I owed it to you to be honest with you, and I wasn't. For that, I really am sorry."

"You told me now, Edward, that's all that matters. Would it have helped me understand you better? Of course it would have, but we can't go back and change it. I'm just happy you trust me enough to let me in, to share those things with me now. It's all I've ever wanted," she said softly.

"I don't deserve you but I'm so fucking happy you've put up with me all this time," he told her as he brushed her hair back over her shoulder.

"I love you. It's not a matter of putting up with anything. I can't be without you; it's as simple as that. You're a part of me, Edward, and you always will be," she told him and then tried to hide a yawn.

"Let's get some sleep, Beautiful. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," he said as he scooted down in the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

She hmphed. "You still won't tell me where we're going in the morning?"

He laughed at her adorable pout and kissed the end of her nose when she looked up at him with her bottom lip sticking out. "Nope. You'll just have to wait and see."

"Fine. You just wait until it's your turn and I get to surprise you, then we'll see how much you like it," she growled and then giggled when he raised his eyebrows at her.

"Are you challenging me, Mrs. Cullen?"

"You bet your ass I am," she said and then yawned again.

He leaned down and kissed her deeply and then tucked her head beneath his chin. "We'll continue this in the morning. Sleep."

"Ti amo, mia Edoardo," she said sleepily.

He smiled, he might know very little Italian, but he did know that. "Ti amo, mia Isabella. La mia ragione," he whispered and then heard her soft, steady breaths as she fell asleep.

He held her for untold minutes, continuously running his fingers through her hair. He'd moved slightly so that he could see her. The moonlight bathed their bed in a soft light and he couldn't stop staring at her. After a bit longer, he was restless and not wanting to wake her, he kissed her gently on the forehead and then slid out of the bed. He put on a pair of sleep pants, figuring the angel person would be making his presence known any moment now.

He poured himself a stiff glass of scotch, not caring that it was after midnight and he had a long day tomorrow. He stood in front of the widows alternating between staring outside and then back at his wife on their bed. He couldn't shut his mind off, not that he had really wanted to anyway. The events of the night played on a continuous loop in his mind and he felt his stomach clench when he thought about how she looked pressed up against the windows in nothing but those damn, sexy as hell shoes.

Yeah, she'd definitely need to wear those again.

"You doing okay?" Seth asked as he materialized in the chair in the corner.

Edward scoffed to himself. He was really going to have to see about changing the furniture in his bedrooms. He wondered if somehow, the annoying being wouldn't just bring a chair along with him from wherever he came from.

"I'm spectacular," Edward answered, staring him straight in the eye.

Seth let his gaze burn brightly as he tried to discern if Edward was hiding anything. After a few seconds passed and Edward's gaze never wavered he said, "You really mean that, don't you?"

Edward turned and faced the pushy seraph, crossing his arms and ankles as he leaned against the windows. "Did you see her tonight? Did you hear what she told me? Did you see the way she defended me, got angry because someone had hurt me? How could I be anything but spectacular?" Edward asked incredulously.

"No one has ever, fucking ever, stood up for me the way she did. I'm half scared and half turned the hell on trying to picture what it will be like at the opera when she sees Anna and Vincent," he said with a chuckle.

Feisty Isabella was all kinds of hot and sexy, there was no doubt about it.

"Well your lovely wife certainly has a temper, that is for damn sure," Seth agreed with a grin. "But seriously, Edward, you can't be too shocked at her reaction."

Edward thought for a bit and realized he really shouldn't have been too surprised at all. Hell, the woman had been by his side for more than five years now; he'd just been too big of a chicken-shit to lean on her when he should have. "No, I suppose not." Edward took another drink of his scotch, trying to muster the courage to ask a question he'd been dying to know the answer to. He knew what he wanted to ask, he was just afraid of the answer the angel would give him.

Seth laughed silently as he watched Edward wrestle with the question he knew was coming. He'd been waiting for awhile now to get to this one, and though it was incredibly tempting to watch him suffer while he fretted and stewed, he decided to put the poor guy out of his misery.

Edward really did have a hell of a night, and surely not in a bad way. While the conversation about Anna hadn't been pleasant, the end result was well worth it, he supposed anyway. Seth hadn't witnessed their interlude when they got home, but judging from Isabella's incredibly serene and content sleeping form and Edward's mostly relaxed state, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened.

"Can I ask you a question and you give me an honest answer, without you being a smart ass?" Edward finally asked after they were both silent for a few moments.

The smug angel rolled his eyes but nodded his head and motioned for Edward to go on.

"It scares me sometimes that I feel so much when Isabella and I make love, like I might fall apart, or burst into song, or start crying and never stop. I want to possess her and consume her, but I also want to love her and kiss her and just hold her. I have a hard time differentiating between the two sides and I always worry that I'm going to hurt her somehow," Edward said quietly.

Seth waited to see if Edward would go on and when he didn't he said, very seriously, "Edward, you haven't asked a question yet. Ask me what you want to know."

"She and I are really soul mates? There really is such a thing?" Edward asked so softly that if Seth didn't possess the extraordinary hearing he did, he might not have heard him.

Seth rose from his chair and floated and stopped in front of Edward. "Edward Anthony, you already know the answer to that; you feel it every time you touch her, or look at her, or make love to her."

"Would she have found her way to me without you and your kind's guidance or whatever the hell you did?" Edward asked, terrified of the answer. The thought of going through his life without her in it seemed as horrific of a thing as he could imagine.

"Does it really matter, Edward?" Seth questioned.

Edward looked toward the bed at his sleeping wife and felt his mouth lift in an instant smile. He knew it didn't really matter because she did find him. He really didn't care about the how or the why, not really, only that she did. "No, I suppose it doesn't."

The angel lifted his hands and laid them on Edward's shoulders and told him, "Edward, every time you and Isabella are intimate with one another, you are sharing a piece of your heart, your soul, your very essence with the other. It doesn't matter if the intimacy comes in the form of holding her hand, or giving her a kiss or even when you are desperate and frantic in your need to be with her the way a husband and wife are meant to. The way you two love and yes, crave each other, is what being soul mates is all about. Don't be scared of hurting her, at least not by needing her as much and how you do."

Edward looked from Seth to Isabella and whispered, "She really is my reason, isn't she?"

"Yes, Edward, she is."

"I love her so fucking much," he said passionately.

"I know that, too, Edward. So does she. You've done so well in letting her see that. Be proud of that, because I am," Seth told him.

Edward yawned and Seth, being in the generous mood he was because his two favorite humans were so wonderfully happy, decided to ensure they were both well-rested for the rest of the day.

"I'll help you sleep, my friend. You're going to need all your faculties tomorrow," the angel said with a devilish chuckle. He had to admit, he was rather looking forward to seeing how the events played themselves out.

"You just want to see Isabella get all dressed up and then give Anna and Vincent a piece of her mind, and probably in Italian, too," Edward growled.

The angel person didn't fool him at all, not for one damn minute.

"Oh come on, Eddie, can you blame me? Your wife is something else on a daily basis, but when she's mad she's..." Seth sighed and Edward huffed and rolled his eyes and supplied, "magnificent."

Seth's ice blue eyes twinkled brightly and he nodded. "Exactly."

Edward crawled into bed and immediately pulled Isabella against him. She sighed and then settled against him, a happy smile on her face. "Edward, if that doesn't tell you everything you need to know, I don't know what would," Seth told him as he stood beside the bed.

"I know. Are you going to stare at us all night or are you going to help me sleep?" Edward grouched, ready to stop thinking and just sleep, wrapped up in his wife.

"Fine, fine." Seth sighed, trying to appear put out with the whole thing. He waved his hands over his two favorite human's heads and said, "Sleep well, you two. Tomorrow is a big day."

Edward succumbed immediately to the angelic mumbo jumbo and settled against the pillows, holding on tight to Isabella.

Seth watched with pleasure as Edward fell asleep. He bent over, kissing them both on the foreheads. "You deserve to be happy, my friend, never forget that and never forget what that woman beside you has given you."

The warmth that Edward had gotten so used to surrounded him, and Edward muttered, "I'm learning and I know. Damn pushy, smug, amazing angel."

Edward missed the brilliant smile that graced said angel's face before he disappeared, muttering a very quiet, "There might just be hope for you yet, Edward Anthony Cullen."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Soooo? What does everyone think about all that? The Anna talk and some intense Edward? Hmmmm...I've been so anxious to get to this chapter! I'm so excited, and a bit nervous too, to get to the next ones. I've loved writing them, but there are a few twists that took me a bit by surprise!**

**Teaser will be on Fictionators tomorrow, and the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab and the new pictures under the story images. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, that way you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I've answered a couple questions it seems lots of you have had, and I'll be happy to answer any more.**

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**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra we'll see Vincent and get some of his back story...how excited are you to see that? So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm NOT going to post the bonus scenes anywhere else. And...I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh...for all you TPWC readers, Outtake #5 will be posted tomorrow just in time for Valentine's Day! I'll be posting first thing in the morning, so watch your inboxes. Daddyward is too cute, you'll need tissues and then a cold shower!**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, I gave you guys a really hot lemon! Happy Early Valentine's Day!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**TGG has been nominated for 3 Shimmer Awards! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to whomever nominated me! Please take a moment and check out all the wonderful people and works that are nominated. (I know this looks weird, but just copy and paste and add the periods where needed. You can only vote once!) Winners will be announced Feb. 20th.**

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**TGG has also been nominated for 5 Inspired FanFic Awards. These awards are for the lesser reviewed stories and there are a lot of wonderful stories that all deserve the recognition. Please take a few minutes to take a look! The form is really confusing, I know, but there are so many wonderful authors like my friends: eternally addicted, rtgirl, AydenMorgen, prettykittyartist, justginger, Sherryola and more...so give them all some love!**

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***This chapter is especially dedicated to our Lady Kat! You've had a hard week, my friend, hope this makes it a bit better. Love ya~**

**Now…on with the story! (Important info at the bottom PLEASE READ!)**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 17**

"Isabella, love, we're going to be late if you don't hurry," Edward called from the kitchen. He threw his empty bottle of water into the recycling bin and checked his watch. Damn, he hoped she really enjoyed this morning.

"Edward, it would really help if you told me where we were going, that way I'd know how to dress," she huffed as she walked out of their bedroom.

The one which, after putting his eyes back in his head, he wanted to take her right back into. It didn't matter in the least that it had only been a few hours since they'd loved each other slowly, both barely awake but needing each other so badly. Not at all actually. He seemed to want her every hour of every day, and in all honesty, didn't see that changing anytime in the near future, especially when she was dressed as she was.

Tight dark blue jeans that hugged every curve and muscle of her legs and ass, a bright white long-sleeved shirt, with one button too many undone; at least he thought so because he could see the tiniest peek of lace from her bra. He realized if he could see that, so could everyone else. She had her hair in a low, loose ponytail, her diamonds in her ears, and her friendship bracelet on her wrist. Her black leather jacket was laid over her arm and when he looked down and saw the sexy as all get out black leather, high-heeled boots on her feet, he groaned.

He never considered himself a shoe guy, but he was seriously giving that a second thought, especially if she kept turning him on so much with her choice of footwear.

"Oh, I'd say you definitely know how to dress, Beautiful," Edward practically growled at her.

Isabella rolled her eyes and felt her cheeks flush but she couldn't help the wave of pleasure his words gave her. Not to mention the way he looked at her, but it had been that way nonstop for over a month now. She had to admit, she really liked it.

"So, are you going to stare at me all morning or are we going to leave? I would hate to mess up whatever plans you've made by being late," she said with a giggle when she saw the corners of his mouth lift in a smile.

Edward slid his cell phone, keys, and wallet into the pocket of his jeans and held his hand out to her. "Well, I suppose I can ogle you just as easily out in public as I can in the penthouse so let's go. Although that," he said as he lowered his voice and leaned in close to her. He lifted his hand and with just the tip of his finger, traced over the bit of lace he could see, "is for my eyes only."

Did that make him sound like a possessive ass? He didn't much care. He knew perfectly well how gorgeous his wife was and he knew everyone would stop and stare at her; they wouldn't be able to help it.

"Edward, I swear," Isabella said with a shake of her head. She put her jacket on, smiling when Edward stepped close to help her and adjusted her shirt. "Better now?" she asked when she turned to look at him.

"Honestly, no, but it will keep me from having to kick someone's ass for staring at you. You're mine, Isabella, don't ever forget that," he told her in a deep, rough voice.

His words coupled with the way his green eyes burned straight through her made her feel that fluttery feeling in her stomach and she had to take a very uneven breath to settle down. How he was able to render her speechless with just a few words and a look she'd never know, but damn if she didn't get a thrill every time he did so.

She opened her mouth to say something when she was stopped because his mouth was on hers. After kissing her until she was dazed, he pulled back. "Okay, my love, let's get out of here. Places to be and all," he told her and then led her out of the penthouse.

Isabella had given up on trying to figure out what he had planned, and besides, he was having so much fun trying to surprise her, she didn't want to spoil it. She looked up at him as they walked down the sidewalk and couldn't help but sigh. He had sunglasses on so you couldn't see his gorgeous eyes, but there was no mistaking the smile on his face.

He was so happy and it made her heart soar to realize how true that was.

There were times she caught him looking terribly sad and afraid, but they were less and less so, especially when compared to before. Before _what_ she still wasn't one hundred percent positive, but to be perfectly truthful, she didn't care. She was more grateful than she could put into words that something had affected him so profoundly and made him realize he could love her and trust her. Beside her was the Edward that had always been there, but had been buried beneath scars and so much hurt and pain, he didn't know how to find his way out. That seemed to be changing now, and based on the bits and pieces he'd begun to share with her, she understood even more than before. There were still questions she hoped he'd answer, but as she had told him, she was a patient woman. He was getting there and she would be ready and willing to listen whenever he was ready.

She was still thrown for quite the loop when she thought about what he'd told her last night about... _her_...Anna. Even her name sounded like nails across a chalkboard, at least the way she said it in her mind. _Goodness, she really couldn't wait until tonight_ , she thought. The woman was a damn fool to have treated Edward the way she had, as if there was someone out there who could possibly be better than him. Of course, maybe she should give her a big hug and a kiss in thanks for being the self-centered bitch she obviously was. Who knew where they might be if she hadn't been.

Well, Isabella knew the answer to that with all her heart. She and Edward were destined to be with each other, so Anna or no Anna, he'd still be hers.

Just like she was his.

Always.

She smiled up at him again and he crooked his eyebrow beneath his sunglasses and said, "What is that beautiful smile for?"

"I'm just very, very happy," she said softly.

He stopped walking and leaned over, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I am, too," he whispered and then kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"I know," she answered back.

He straightened back up and pulled her next to him as they headed toward their destination. When she looked up and realized where they were, she let out an adorable squeal of excitement. As she gazed up at him and her eyes danced with glee, he knew he'd made the perfect choice.

In front of them was Navy Pier and they hadn't been back since she'd brought him all those years ago when they'd first started dating. It was one of his happiest memories and he wanted to bring her back to make another.

They walked around, not really wanting to ride any of the rides, though he did manage to get her on the Ferris wheel. They stopped and looked at all the shops and she giggled when he asked her, in a most serious voice, if she wanted to stop at Build-A-Bear. She was half-tempted to take him up on it, if only to see if he would really do it.

They headed back toward the promenade and to Cappi's Italian Kitchen where they would be eating lunch.

"Bambola!" Charlie Swan said loudly as Isabella and Edward approached.

Isabella looked up, surprised to hear her father's voice and then looked at her husband. "I thought you'd like to have lunch with all of them for your birthday," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

She was about to say something to her too sweet for words husband when her dad wrapped her in a huge hug. "Bella, Happy Birthday!"

"Hey, Dad," Isabella said fondly as she wrapped her arms around him and then was passed to her mother and Nonna.

"Edward, thanks so much for asking us to have lunch with the two of you," Charlie said with a brilliant smile as they walked into the restaurant.

He'd reached out to shake Edward's hand in greeting and then did the man thing of a half hug, half pat on the back. "No problem, Charlie. I knew Isabella would want to see you all today."

He said hello to Renée and Nonna getting exuberant hugs and kisses from them as well before finding himself next to his wife. "Thank you, sweetheart," she said and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

The hostess showed them to their table and once they'd placed their drink and lunch orders, Renée asked, "So, Edward, you and Bella are going to the opera tonight? How exciting."

"I'm looking forward to it. CP has always been a big supporter of the Lyric and opening night is always a spectacle," Edward answered her.

Gianna watched her granddaughter and Edward while they ate and they so reminded of her of her and her Angelo it almost brought tears to her eyes. "Edward, Cari, what will you be seeing?" she asked.

" _Faust_. Isabella tells me Goethe's rendition is supposed to be spectacular, so I'm hoping the hype lives up to her expectations," he answered after giving Isabella a flirtatious wink.

Gianna smiled knowingly. Edward was going to be in for quite the surprise tonight, that was for sure. She couldn't think of anything more apropos than _Faust_.

The rest of the lunch was passed with lively conversation and Isabella was amazed, yet again, at how much thought her husband had given everything. She certainly didn't need or want anything extravagant for her birthday, but the weekend had thus far been absolutely perfect.

The group left the restaurant, deciding to stop for Isabella's favorite funnel cake. Edward couldn't even put into words how amazing it felt to walk behind her, while she was sandwiched between her mom and dad as they walked, with their arms linked. He smiled at Nonna when she hooked her arm with his as well.

"Such a nice day," Gianna said as she patted his arm with her other hand.

"I'm glad. I knew she'd want to see you all today," Edward said, trying not to make a big deal out of things.

They walked quietly for a few minutes, each seemingly content to listen to Isabella, Charlie, and Renée laugh among themselves. "Edward, pay close attention to the final act during tonight's performance. I think you might find it rather relevant," Gianna told him as they approached the food cart.

Edward looked at her with a raised eyebrow and said, "Really? Why would you say that?"

She reached up and pulled his face down to hers so she could kiss him, once on each cheek. "Just watch and pay attention, Cari. God speaks to us in many ways," she said with a knowing look and then went to go speak to Charlie and Renée.

Edward stared, confused by what she'd said to him. He knew there was a message in there somewhere; he just didn't know what it was.

"Mmmm, this is so good. Have a taste," Isabella told him as she walked up beside him. She pinched off a piece of the fried delicacy and held it out to him. He got a wicked gleam in his eye as he bent his head down and took the sugary dessert in his mouth, making sure to lick off every bit of powdered sugar and cinnamon from her fingers. He reached up and grabbed her wrist as his tongue curled around her fingertips and then with a kiss to the end of her finger, stood up.

He licked his lips, staring straight into her eyes and in a husky voice said, "Mmmm, you're right. Very good."

She growled in the back of her throat at him and then got a seductive smile on her face as well. She dipped her still wet finger in the sugar and then placed it in her mouth, feeling her stomach and other parts clench when his eyes darkened as he watched her lips close around her finger.

"Such a dangerous creature you are," Edward said in a tight voice. "Come on. We need to say goodbye and get back to the penthouse. I know you're tired and I want you to have time to rest before we have to get ready to go."

Isabella laughed at her husband, poor thing. She rather enjoyed seeing him get all worked up though.

Edward and Isabella said their goodbyes after promising to see everyone at Mass the next morning and then made their way back to the penthouse. Isabella couldn't stop yawning while they walked home and when her husband stripped her down, leaving her only in her bra and panties and covered her up, she was asleep before he even had time to give her a kiss.

He did kiss her though, leaving a gentle, lingering kiss on her forehead before stepping out of the room to let her rest.

"You know for someone who only a little over a month ago would have won the World's Worst Husband award, in a landslide no less, you really amaze me sometimes," the angel said as soon as Edward stepped into the spacious living room. Today the angel was dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. With a pair of outrageous shoes on his feet, you would never be able to tell he was from somewhere else, like a whole different world kind of place.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and said, "I want to make her happy. I just do what feels right, that's all."

"Well, you keep on doing what you're doing. She's the happiest she's ever been, thanks to you. Don't mess it up," Seth warned with a glare.

"I'll do my best," Edward said with a sigh and then sat down in an oversized club chair. "Tonight is liable to be a fucking disaster. You sure you can't use some of your whatever it is and tell me everything will be okay?"

"Eddie, you know that is not one of the talents I possess. I really don't know what you are so worried about anyway," the being said with a pointed look.

Edward bent forward and nervously ran his hands through his hair. "I can't really explain it, but suffice it to say I feel like this is the most important thing I've ever done and I don't understand why."

Seth sat back on the sofa, in a most relaxed position, and stared at his very anxious charge. "Edward, you have the most annoying habit of getting yourself all worked up when you have no reason to," he said and then raised his hand to cut off whatever rebuttal Edward was about to make. He waited with a hard stare until Edward closed his mouth and then sat back in his chair before he went on. "I'm not saying that you aren't right to be nervous, Edward. Tonight is a big deal, we both know that. For the first time, ever, you will walk into someplace, surrounded by your family, friends, colleagues and even enemies, proudly with your wife on your arm. You're liable to encounter people you've wronged, people who don't like you very much, and to top all that off, Anna and Vincent will be there as will Carlisle and Esme. Talk about jumping into the fire," the angel said with a chuckle.

"You don't have to sound like you're going to enjoy it so damn much, you know," Edward huffed angrily.

"Oh, calm down, Eddie. Number one, I don't for one minute believe it's going to be as bad as you're making it out to be and number two, you should be able to admit that you deserve to be a bit uncomfortable. But, most importantly, number three, I'm going to enjoy watching you use the talents that you were born with to sail through the night. Edward Anthony, you've always been an extraordinary man, you've just been too afraid to let anyone see the goodness that resides in you. Isabella has always known it was there, even if you didn't. It's time for you to stop being scared of letting others see it as well," Seth said with a stern but loving voice.

"Why do I feel like this is a test or something?" Edward asked and then pinned the otherworldly being with a hard glare. "You're not setting me up or anything like that are you?"

Seth laughed, though he was rather impressed Edward thought he could do such a thing. Good to keep the boy on his toes and all. "The only test you have to be worried about is making sure you do what you need to in regards to Anna."

"I think I'd rather face the devil than have to apologize to her," Edward said and then held his hand up to indicate he wasn't finished yet. "But, I know I have to do it and I will."

"Ah, my young friend, you just need to relax and let your instincts take over. Don't over-think things so much, Edward. It'll be fine, you'll see," the angel said with a twinkle in his eye.

"If you say so," Edward said and then heard Isabella stirring in their room.

The angel chuckled when he watched Edward's eyes light up at the thought of his lovely wife being awake so he figured it was time for him to disappear for a bit. He'd be close by though, for he knew that the night was going to be quite the roller coaster for Edward and even possibly Isabella.

"I do say so and what have I told you, Edward? I'm always right; you'd think you'd realize this by now," the angel said and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered before standing up and going to see his wife.

Isabella stretched beneath the cool sheets, feeling extremely well-rested. As soon as she glanced to the bedside table and realized what time it was, her stomach lurched. It wasn't that she was nervous, at least not terribly so, it was more like an excited anticipation. She and Edward were in such a different place in their relationship and it would be their first public appearance since they'd 'started over' and she knew it was a big deal.

"Hi, Beautiful. Did you have a nice nap?" came the velvety smooth voice of her husband. When her eyes found his, she sighed. He really took her breath away.

"It would have been better if you would have been in the bed with me," she said with a sexy smile.

She had to rub her legs together when he stared at her from the doorway. She knew what time it was and did a quick mental calculation on how long it would take her to get ready and then looked back at him. She giggled when she saw his face fall infinitesimally. Apparently he'd come to the same conclusion as she had; not enough time, damn it.

She watched as he walked into the room, and felt her skin tingle the closer he got. He sat on the bed and chuckled when she pouted at him when he didn't lay down beside her. "Sorry, love, but if we are going to have time to eat before the performance, we need to start getting ready to go. As much as I would love to say forget it and skip dinner, we can't."

"Oh, I know, but you can't blame me for trying," she said as she reached over and ran her fingers along his arm. She sighed again when the muscle in his forearm flexed under her touch.

So damn sexy.

He leaned over and ran his lips over hers, barely touching them. "Then you can't blame me for this." He then pressed his lips firmly against hers, prodding insistently until she opened her mouth to his. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, taking time to taste every part of her. Lazy, slow circles, then in and out, he kissed her.

Isabella's breathing increased, as did her heart rate. She curled her fingers around his arm and reached up around his neck with the other and she molded her body against his. The urge to pull him down on top of her, to be able to feel all of his weight on her was so strong. Opera be damned.

Edward inhaled deeply through his nose and his fingers twitched because he wanted so very badly to push her back down on the bed and make love to her until they each couldn't go on any longer. However, when he had to pull back to take a breath, he looked at the clock and groaned.

"As much as I want to continue this, we really have to stop," he said as he leaned his forehead against hers.

Isabella blew out an uneven breath and bit her bottom lip. She laid her hands on the sides of his face, letting her thumbs trace along his cheekbones. "I'm really excited about tonight," she told him softly and when she felt the corners of his mouth lift in a smile beneath her fingers, she smiled as well.

"Me, too, love. I think this will be a night we'll never forget," he told her. He gently pulled her bottom lip out from between her teeth because she'd bitten it again and looked at her so tenderly she thought her heart would melt.

"In case I forget to tell you later, thank you for tonight, Edward."

Regretfully he stood up, keeping a hold of her hand. "I'll leave you to get dressed. I... um..hung up your dress in the closet. We need to leave no later than five o'clock, okay?" he asked and when she nodded he walked toward the door.

He left her with one last look and made his way to the guest bedroom to put his tux on. He hoped she liked what he had picked out for her.

Isabella watched him walk out of the room and stared at the closed door for a moment before she slid out of the bed. She hurried to the closet, excited to see what Edward had picked out for her to wear. Her heart raced when she saw the long, black bag hanging there. She carefully pulled it from the closet and then laid it on the bed. Her fingers shook as she pulled the zipper down, and when she pushed the bag open, she placed her hand over her mouth. Tears stung her eyes and she had to blink a few times to keep them at bay and then she stood, unable to take her eyes of the most beautiful dress she'd ever seen in her life.

The dress was long, slim and a shimmering silver color made of the most elegant fabric she'd ever seen. It had a jeweled halter neck and a thin band of jewels around the waist. There were a pair of long, silver opera gloves, a pair of dangerously high, but extremely gorgeous silver sandals, and a diamond bracelet and earrings to go along with it. She kept staring at the dress, trying to imagine what he'd been thinking when he'd picked everything out. The fact that he could see her in the dress, wanted to see her in this particular dress, made her feel like a princess and she knew without a doubt there wasn't a woman that was going to be at the opera tonight that would feel as beautiful or as special as she would.

When Edward closed the door to the guest room behind him, he leaned his back against, banging his head a few times as he muttered, "Christ, don't let me fuck things up tonight."

"As we've already established, Eddie, I'm not him, nor will I ever be, but knock it the hell off, get dressed, and stop your damn fretting. It will be an amazing night. Drink that," the angel demanded and pointed to the familiar-looking glass of amber liquid. "Put your tux on, and walk into that building tonight knowing you have the most beautiful woman on your arm, and she happens to love and adore you, too. I'll be around if you need me," the annoying being said and then was suddenly gone.

"Damn angel," Edward said, but it was done with a smile, especially when he realized he'd forgotten his tux at home but thankfully one of the benefits of having your own personal angel also included delivery service when needed.

Edward quickly stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the shower. He let the warm water soothe his tense muscles and by the time he'd finished, he felt better, calmer. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went to pick up the heavy glass filled with the heavenly scotch. Talking a big sip, he enjoyed the way the warmth slowly spread. He carried the glass to the bathroom with him, setting it on the counter while he shaved. He was careful not to cut himself and when he was through, stared at himself in the mirror for a minute. It was really quite extraordinary, he thought as he gazed at his reflection, how different he looked. Gone were the tight lines beside his eyes and mouth; gone was the dip between his eyebrows; gone was the mask he hid behind. Instead, it was just him, helplessly and hopelessly in love with, without a doubt, the most amazing woman ever.

Thinking about how his wife would look in the dress he had picked out for her got his heart thumping loudly in his chest and he couldn't help the quiet groan either as he envisioned the way the silky, shimmery material would cling to her body.

Fuck, it would be a miracle if he made it through the night without falling apart or making a huge mess of things.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to do as the bossy seraph instructed. He finished his drink in one big gulp and then set about to get dressed, resolving to not worry about the rest of the evening.

Once he was dressed in his tuxedo with a tie and vest that matched Isabella's dress, he took a few deep breaths and then ran a hand nervously through his hair. His eyes caught his bracelet in his periphery. He thought for all of about zero point two seconds about taking it off and then immediately realized that even if it didn't particularly go with his attire for the evening, it was staying put. He knew she would have to take hers off, and that was fine, but he wasn't going without it. He couldn't give a shit less if it didn't match.

Checking his pockets to make sure he had everything he needed for the night, he walked out to the living room to wait. He paced, nervously, as he waited for Isabella to finish getting ready. He could hear her moving around in their room and his stomach twisted. Damn, he really couldn't wait to see what she looked like. He flipped on the stereo while he waited, hoping that the music would help calm his nerves. He leaned against the windows looking out over Lake Michigan, standing with his hands pressed against the glass.

Isabella took one last deep breath before she opened the door. She had her wrap draped over her arm, her clutch in her hand, and she came to an abrupt halt when she silently entered the living room and saw Edward. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm glow through the windows. The last remaining beams of sunlight glinted off his hair and highlighted the angle of his cheekbones. He hadn't put his tux jacket on yet and she could see the muscles of his back and shoulders ripple beneath the shirt and vest.

Her mouth turned dry as she stared at him, and she felt like she could start crying at any moment, only because he was so beautiful. Not the word one would normally use to describe a man, she knew, but there wasn't any other word she could think of.

Damn, she loved him so much.

He must have heard the rustle of her dress because he turned his head, feeling his breath catch in his throat and his heart slam against his chest when he looked at her. The dress was everything he'd hoped it would be and looked even more amazing on her than he had ever dreamed. She had her hair piled on top of her head in some intricate, elegant twist, leaving only a few tendrils to curl enticingly around her face. Her ears sparkled with the diamond earrings he'd bought for her to wear tonight and he couldn't help but smile when he saw the circle of diamonds around her wrist as well. The friendship bracelet was personal and meaningful, and given with the very best of intentions, but the diamonds that currently glittered in her ears and on her wrist were given with another thought in mind. He wanted her to feel revered, worshiped, treasured.

He swallowed a few times, struggling to come up with the words, any words to tell her how incredible she looked. "Isabella...my love...I have," he said and shook his head. "Simply stunning," he whispered in awe.

She stepped closer to him and said quietly, "I feel like a princess. Thank you, Edward." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly on the lips and then turned around so he could help her with her wrap.

"No mere princess for you, Beautiful. Queen, Empress, and if I could think of what comes above that, I'd include that, too," he said with a quiet laugh as he kissed her neck. "You take my breath away," he told her as he turned her around.

Her eyes danced as she stared at him and said with a sexy grin, "You do the same for me, sweetheart. You look so handsome."

"As much as I would love to stand here and stare at you all night, we really need to go." He held his arm out to her and when she wound her arm around his, he knew there wasn't another man alive that was as lucky as he was.

They made their way to the parking garage where Edward helped her in the car. He had thought about hiring a car and driver for the evening, but he loved driving his car and didn't get to do it enough. It made staring at his wife rather difficult, but thankfully the ride wouldn't take long. As they weaved in and out of traffic, he told her, "I hope tonight is everything you ever dreamed about, Isabella."

"As long as I'm with you, it will be perfect," she told him.

In a different penthouse apartment in a different building, Vincent Sinclair impatiently tapped his foot as he slammed back a glass of vodka. Shivering as the liquid burned his throat and stomach he checked his watch, again.

"God damn it, Anna, if you don't hurry the fuck up I'm leaving your ass here," he hollered.

Fuck, he didn't want to be late, tonight of all nights. Not when he knew Edward would be there; the fucking golden boy of Cullen Publishing. Apparently the son of a bitch had had some brush with death or some shit like that, at least according to the gossip, and was a completely different person. To top it off, even after Vincent had managed to weasel his way into the deal with Deaton-Hall and stole them away, Edward still had something big up his sleeve.

The smooth motherfucker always seemed to be one fucking step ahead of him, no matter what he did. From what he'd been able to gather, Emmett had come up with some idea and was going to spearhead a project with Isabella, of all people.

Vincent felt his dick get hard when he thought about Edward's delectable wife. Isabella Cullen was unquestionably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and he'd seen plenty. Anna was the stuff boys and men dreamed about with her blonde hair, big tits and banging body, but she paled in comparison to Isabella.

"Lucky fucking asshole," Vincent muttered before drinking another shot.

He hated Edward, despised him with every fiber of his being and had for too many years to count. He'd spent years watching Edward succeed, effortlessly it seemed to him, and get everything he wanted. Beautiful wife, beautiful home, in charge of the top publishing company in the country, even as much as he hated to admit that. Edward might have had the reputation of being a cold-hearted bastard, but he was respected and admired by everyone.

"Jesus, Vince, would you calm the hell down," Anna huffed as she threw her evening bag on the counter and reached for her own glass of vodka. Why she put up with so much of his shit she'd never know. Habit, she supposed.

Vincent rolled his eyes when he noticed what she was wearing, or more specifically what she wasn't wearing. The dress, while it looked amazing on her, was certainly not appropriate for attending the opera, especially opening night. It was a bright red, with straps of fabric barely covering her most generous assets. It plunged almost obscenely in the front and the back and on her feet were shoes that one would normally only find in a strip club. A high-class one to be sure, but a strip club nonetheless. He was sure the entire ensemble had cost him a pretty penny because Anna only bought the most expensive things she could find, but as the saying went, money doesn't always buy class. However, because he valued his balls, he kept that opinion to himself.

"Come on, we're late," he snapped as he held her coat for her. Hey, he did have some class and he knew when to use his manners.

He ushered them out of the apartment and they quickly made their way into the car that was waiting at the entrance for them. He nodded at the driver that opened the door and snorted when the guy's eyeballs almost popped out of his head as Anna slithered into the car, being sure to show plenty of skin. If she wasn't so good in bed and didn't come from one of the most respected families in Chicago, he would have ended things with her long ago.

The thrill of taking her from Edward wore off quickly; especially when he realized Edward seemed to be more relieved than anything to be rid of her. It should have tipped him off when he managed to find his way into her bed, well, Edward's if you wanted to get technical, with relative ease, but with Edward Cullen you could never tell. He was one cool fucking customer, that was for damn sure.

He wondered how easy it would be to get into Isabella's bed. He actually shivered as he imagined how she would look, naked, ready and waiting until he fucked her and kept fucking her until she begged him to stop. He knew though, judging from the few times he'd seen Edward and Isabella at functions over the years, there was no way in hell she'd ever cheat on Edward...none. He didn't believe in things like love, fidelity, or hell even honesty for that matter, but one look at Isabella and the way she looked at Edward was enough to make her untouchable, especially for someone like him.

Didn't mean he couldn't dream though, now did it?

Anna huffed as they sped toward the opera house. She couldn't get out of her mind what her friend, Yvette, had told her earlier in the day when they were getting their nails done. Yvette and Chase had been at the same restaurant Edward and Isabella happened to be eating at the night before. Of course they were there for very different reasons, seeing as Chase was Yvette's lover and not her husband, so they had chosen someplace off the beaten path so to speak to eat before adjourning to their hotel room. Yvette kept going on and on about how different Edward appeared; how he couldn't stop touching or kissing his wife, and how blissfully happy he'd looked. Yvette swore she'd never seen anything as intense, or as hot as the way Edward and Isabella had gazed at each other. She gleefully admitted it made her dalliance with Chase even more frantic than usual; not that she was complaining in the least.

None of what Yvette had told her were things she remembered about Edward. Edward had never acted like that with her, ever. Not once in the two years they were together, if you could even call it that, had he ever touched or looked at her the way Yvette had described. Hell, neither did Vince, she thought with sudden envy. She readily admitted to her friends and hell even to herself, that she'd used Edward. The man was panty wetting gorgeous, intense, powerful, and had more money than he knew what to do with. What woman wouldn't want to share his bed? When she'd finagled her way into living with him, she thought she'd had it made. He let her do her own thing, spend his money, and never once complained. Of course along with that came the realization that he'd done all of that because he didn't care what she did, or who she did it with. After she'd had enough of his indifference, she'd lured Vincent to her bed, hoping that sleeping with Edward's bitter adversary would spark something, and it did all right. It sparked the immediate and abrupt end to her posh living arrangements and she found herself on the wrong end of her father's and grandfather's good graces.

Annoyed and more than a little bit embarrassed by her family's displeasure, she'd left town and headed for New York where she spent a few years shopping, being seen in all the right places for lunch, dinner, and at night kept herself amused with the numerous wealthy men looking to have someone like her on their arm and in their bed. Eventually, she tired of being so far away from her family so she went back home to Chicago. She missed her family, sure, but she also knew that her life was rather empty. She wasn't sure what she wanted, but she'd spent enough time in New York to know that wasn't the place for her. By then, Edward and Isabella were married and after seeing Vincent at a fundraiser one night, they picked their fling back up where they'd left off.

She glanced to her left and narrowed her eyes as she stared at Vincent. The damn fool hadn't even told her she looked nice, though she didn't miss the way the driver's eyes roamed her body. Vincent _never_ bothered to tell her she looked nice, or pretty, and certainly not beautiful. Oh, he'd tell she was hot and sexy and most of the time that was plenty, but being told she was beautiful would be nice sometimes. She couldn't help but squirm in her seat when she thought about seeing Edward tonight. From the few times she'd seen him, he'd only gotten better-looking and certainly sexier. That cool, intense vibe he exuded turned her on like no other man had, not even Vincent, who was certainly almost as powerful as Edward.

Just thinking about Edward got her all hot and bothered so she turned slightly in her seat and ran a finger along Vincent's thigh. When she let her fingers trail along the inside of his leg and up toward his hardening erection he smirked and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Really, Anna?" he asked cockily.

Anna licked her lips; Vincent really was a very sexy man. Not Edward Cullen, then again no one was, but he'd sure as hell do. "Really, Vincent," she purred and then unzipped his pants and took him in her hand.

By the time they arrived at the opera house they each had to arrange their clothes and Anna barely had time to reapply her lipstick. The valet opened her door and she gave him a flirty smile as he helped her out. Vincent followed and then took her hand as they approached the entrance. "That, you insatiable vixen, was only the precursor to what I plan to do to you when we get home," he whispered in her ear and then palmed her ass.

"I'm counting on it, Vince," she told him.

They made their way to the Graham Room and were shown to their table. They were going to be dining with a few of Vincent's senior executives and their wives and though she would have preferred her own friends, she knew attending things like this with Vincent was the price she had to pay. When she took a sip of the very expensive champagne that appeared as soon as she sat down and looked around at the elite of Chicago, she figured she could do worse.

She noticed Emmett and Rosalie Cullen, Jasper and Alice Whitlock, Marcus Northcott and his girlfriend, Camille Sanderson as well as Alec Tipton with some woman she didn't recognize sitting at a table together. As her eyes scanned the crowd she didn't see Edward or Isabella, but she did see Carlisle and Esme Cullen speaking to a few others at a table opposite hers.

Anna barely paid attention to the business talk going on around her or the chatter of the women beside her. When one of the women asked her a question, she turned to answer her, not wanting to be a total bitch.

"Holy fucking shit," Vincent exclaimed as he glanced toward the stairs leading down into the restaurant.

Edward and Isabella stood at the top of the stairs speaking with Johann Devlin, head of the Lyric. Vincent couldn't help but stare, slack-jawed at the duo. Isabella was majestic as she stood beside Edward. Her dress glimmered in the soft light of the dining room and clung enticingly to her perfect body. She was molded to Edward's side and held onto his arm with her hand firmly ensconced inside of his. He could tell, even from as far away as he was, that she wasn't standing that close to him from nerves or the like; it was because Edward wanted her as close as he could get her. His body moved when hers did, though there wasn't a bit of space between them. He was constantly kissing the side of her head and when he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her, Isabella practically melted against him. His hand was possessively on her hip, though it was actually more on the top of her ass, which looked phenomenal from where he sat.

He had never hated Edward more than he did at just that moment. To have that woman look at him that way, he'd give anything. Hell, he figured anyone in the room would have given their left nut to stand beside her, to feel her body next to theirs and to be looked at the way she was looking at that cocksucker; like he'd hung the fucking moon.

_How the fuck did Cullen get so damn lucky?_ he thought nastily.

Edward was aware of practically every set of eyes on himself and Isabella as they spoke with Johann. During a break in the conversation, when Johann was going on and on about thanking him for CP's support for the night's performance, he quickly scanned the room. He smiled when Jasper and Alice caught his eye and then of course at his exuberant brother when he waved at him like an idiot. A lovable idiot though. He nodded at Rose and gave her a wink and then did the man thing and lifted his chin toward Marcus and Alec. He looked around until he saw Carlisle and Esme and actually gave them both a warm smile in greeting, feeling very happy when Esme blew him a kiss. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and when he turned he met the ice cold stare of Vincent Sinclair.

If looks could kill, Edward was certain he'd be annihilated judging from the glare he'd just got from Vincent, but he just gave him back a smug grin and gripped Isabella's waist even tighter. _Take that you son of a bitch_ , Edward thought and then focused his attention back on his wife where it belonged.

"Well, Johann, we'd best get to our table if we're going to eat before the performance starts," Edward said as he extricated them from the overzealous man. They finally got to their table after being waylaid numerous times. Edward knew it would be like this, especially since it was the opening night of the opera season. He was glad he'd made arrangements to meet with Jasper, Alice, and the others during the first intermission; he wanted to spend some time alone with his gorgeous wife.

Once they'd finally turned in their order and had a few minutes of uninterrupted time, Edward reached over and picked up Isabella's hand and kissed the back of it. He had to smile at the way the candlelight from the table reflected off her bracelet. He had to admit, she looked stunning draped in diamonds. "You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered as he leaned in close to her, running his nose along the exposed skin of her shoulder.

"Edward, sweetheart...ah...oh hell...thank you," she finally managed to breathe out. He'd pressed his knee against hers beneath the table and because he had an arm draped across the back of her chair, he was able to run his hand up and down her arm, leaving a trail of heated flesh in its wake.

"Do you know, Isabella, that since we have walked in here every person has been stunned speechless by you?" he asked her and she had to close her eyes as his rough, husky voice washed over her.

She opened her eyes after only a moment and was immediately lost in the blazing, bottle-green eyes that saw straight into her soul. "I don't know about that," she said with a shaky breath.

"Oh I do, Beautiful. Vincent Sinclair would like nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow me whole," he said with a chuckle.

Isabella gasped at the mention of Vincent's name, only because if he was here that meant Anna was as well. She quickly scanned the room, opening her eyes in surprise when she caught Vincent blatantly staring at her. Edward heard her breath hitch and raised his eyes to Vincent's, in challenge and in warning. He held Vincent's stare until the other man was forced to turn his attention away.

"Asshole," Edward muttered under his breath.

"It's rather obvious two certainly don't like each other," Isabella asked when she felt Edward relax beside her.

Edward snorted and then took a sip of his champagne. "Not even a little bit. The man is a snake, Isabella, always has been. I may have done some things I'm not proud of in my life, but nothing close to what he's done."

"Well, I personally just think he's jealous of you, Edward. You're a good man and a brilliant businessman on top of that. You've worked hard to get where you are, everyone knows that," she told him truthfully and with a bit of a growl, too.

No one could ever question Edward's dedication to the company. He might have used work as a means to escape, but that didn't mean he wasn't excellent at his job either.

Edward couldn't help but feel amazed by her words and her obvious faith in him. "Thank you, love. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that," he told her.

"I think I do. I've watched you for five years, Edward, run a company with confidence and character. You've surrounded yourself with the best of the best in Emmett, Jasper, Marcus, Alec, and countless others. You know when to make a move and when to wait. You have a keen sense of what works and what doesn't. Vincent has none of that, as is obvious by his pitiful attempts to steal your ideas and your clients. I can't wait to see his face when he finds out what we have in store for him. Poor fool won't know what hit him," she said with a giggle.

Edward was speechless at her words. In the entire time they'd been married he'd never heard her speak so passionately about the business side of their relationship.

"Isabella...I...you've never..." he stuttered hopelessly, trying to form a coherent thought.

Isabella sighed and then reached for his hand, needing to tell him something that had been on her mind for awhile now but had really been brought to the forefront last week at her parents' house. "Edward, I know I haven't been exactly open and forthcoming when it comes to CP with you, and for that I'm really sorry. Listening to you talk to Dad and Mama last week really reminded me that CP is as important to me as it is to you. I am a Cullen; that is my name on the business, thanks to you, and someday, if we're blessed enough to have a child or children, it will be their legacy. I owe it to the family, to you, to do everything within my power to make sure it is the best it can be. I'm sorry I haven't really acted like I cared about it before, but please believe me, I do. I will do whatever we need to make sure that Vincent Sinclair, and anyone else for that matter, can't do anything to jeopardize Cullen Publishing's rightful place at the top."

Again, Edward was frozen in place, unable to do anything except stare at the most incredible, amazing, strongest person he'd ever seen.

"Oh God, Isabella," he rasped and then grabbed the sides of her face, firmly but gently, and crushed her lips beneath his. Every ounce of awe, pride, respect and unending love he felt for her poured out into that kiss. He could barely keep up with the barrage of thoughts flooding his mind and he knew he would have to try to remember what she'd just said later, but for right now, he felt like there wasn't anyone on earth that was as lucky as he was.

He finally had to stop kissing her, only because he feared if he didn't, he never would. "Thank you," he managed to choke out. "I have no words to explain how much what you just said means to me," he told her as her words came rushing back. "I love you, more than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone."

"I love you, too, Edward. I also happen to admire and respect you. You're a good man; it's time for you to believe that yourself," she told him with much feeling.

He reached out and held her small, but so fucking strong hand in between his and said, "If I am, it's only because of you. You make me want to be better, Isabella. You're the strongest, best person I know and I want to make you proud of me."

Tears filled her eyes, but didn't fall. She said, "I am, Edward. I've always been proud of you." She looked up and saw him wipe the corner of his eyes and giggled and said, "We make quite the pair, huh?"

"The best," he answered immediately with a brilliant smile.

She sat back so that the waiter could set their plates on the table and once they'd assured him everything looked wonderful, they were left alone again. She waited to begin eating until Edward poured her another glass of champagne and she lifted her glass to his. "To us," she said.

"To Cullen and Cullen, a perfect team," he answered back.

They ate their dinner with their heads bent close to the other while they whispered back and forth, completely in their own bubble and totally unaware of the fact that almost everyone in the restaurant couldn't take their eyes off of them.

They made such an incredible-looking couple and the love and happiness that they each felt was evident for all to see. It was so palpable you felt as if you could reach out and touch it, and hope that some of what they had rubbed off on you.

Jasper laughed quietly at Alice's exuberance at seeing both of them so happy. Emmett hugged Rose to his side and kissed the side of her head and whispered a soft, "I told you so," in her ear. He of course had to dodge the slap to the arm she gave him in response. Alec and Marcus winked at each other and gave each other a silent fist bump. Carlisle held onto his wife while she cried softly into a napkin, so overjoyed at seeing her son finally happy.

There were of course others that looked on, green with envy and bitter. Anna seethed as she observed Edward and Isabella, cursing herself for ever letting him go. Vincent fumed as he watched Isabella simper and fawn all over Edward.

When they had finished eating and everyone began getting ready to make their way to the theater, Edward held his hand out and helped Isabella out of her chair. As they were walking, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the very pleased and he thought proud angel, leaning against the entrance to the theater.

"I won't tell you I told you so," he said as Edward and Isabella approached.

Edward scoffed and rolled his eyes; he wasn't touching that comment with a ten foot pole.

"Keep it up, Eddie, you're doing great," the angel said and then was gone.

"Damn angel," he muttered.

"What did you say, sweetheart?" Isabella asked and Edward had to chuckle at that slip-up. He had no idea what to say back to her and was spared from having to think about it when he felt a hand on his other arm.

Turning to look, he felt his stomach twist when Anna was standing in front of him wearing a flirtatious look on her face. "Aren't you going to say hello, Edward?"

Shit, it figured the annoying angel would disappear right when he needed him; what the hell was up with that?

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Ohhhhh! What does everyone think about all that? How about Anna and Vincent? They are something else, huh? I've been so anxious to get here and I'm so excited, and a bit nervous too, to get to the next ones. I've loved writing them, but there are a few twists that took me a bit by surprise! *Thanks to prettykittyartist for helping me find the Navy Pier info! (How'd you like the Build a Bear?)**

***Oh, and I've taken some liberties with the Opera and the performance schedule, so just go with it, okay? Artistic license, you know?**

**And, because I love you all so much and you've been so great about supporting this unique story, I'm going to be posting an outtake from everyone else's POV as a bridge between this and the next chapter! Be sure you have me on author alert, it'll be posted separately and I have a few others in the works already. I will be posting the outtake on Friday.**

**Teaser will be on Fictionators tomorrow, and the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab and the new pictures under the story images. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, so you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I wanted to try something new, so tomorrow night, Monday the 21st we'll be having an open discussion on the discussion board at 8pm central time. If you have any questions you've been dying to ask or any comments you'd like to make, bring them all and I'll answer as best I can. Just look for the thread titled "Questions for Erin, Feb 21st" and I'll be there! I hope to see lots of you there as well. If we can get this to work, I'll try to make this a regular thing.**

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**I've signed up to take part in the Fandom Against Domestic Violence fundraiser that began on Feb. 1st. There is a link to the FADV website on my blog and profile if you'd like more information. Donations are $10 and you'll get a compilation of over 100+ outtakes and one/shots in return.**

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**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra I am going to be sending a sneak peek of the Seth Outtake for the FADV. Just as an enticement to get you all to donate to such a great cause. So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16(.)yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, we're finally at the opera!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Amanda, Kat, Mary, Becky, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Did everyone see the outtake that I posted on Friday? It's from the opera and shows multiple POV's as well as brief glimpse of Edward and Emmett when Edward first came to live with them. The outtakes are being posted separately and the link is on my profile! I hope you'll read and let me know what you think! Think of the outtake like a really long bonus scene! I'm planning on quite a few others so I really hope you want to see them!**

**Now...on with the story! This one...I've been waiting for...for a REALLY long time!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 18**

"Anna," Edward answered evenly.

He instinctively pulled Isabella closer to his side and squeezed the hand that was inside of his. He immediately looked down at her when he heard Isabella gasp in surprise, telling himself that no matter what, she came first. Appearances, manners, and all that meant shit if she was uncomfortable, at all.

"Edward, it's been so long," Anna said in a totally false tone of voice.

"It has," he answered back simply.

Anna huffed, having not received the warm welcome she had wanted and then stared at his wife. She grudgingly admitted, silently, that Isabella Cullen was a pretty woman. Not beautiful, and certainly not worthy of the way Edward stared at her like she was a drink of water after he'd been in the desert for days on end.

She stood up straighter and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Well, Edward, aren't you going to introduce me?" she asked and pouted.

"Ah, sure. Beautiful, this is Anna Davenport. Anna, I'd like you to meet my wife, Isabella," he said and Anna couldn't help but boil on the inside at the way he'd all but dismissed her to stare, some more, at Isabella.

Isabella held out the hand that Edward didn't have in a death grip and waited for Anna to take it. She wasn't fooled by the smile on the woman's garishly made up face, not for one damn second. She could feel her animosity rolling off her in waves, no matter the pretended niceties she tried to fake. "It's nice to meet you," Isabella said politely.

As much as Anna wanted to ignore the gesture, she knew she couldn't, so she limply took her hand and said, "You, too." She got a smug look on her face and then said, "Edward and I go way back. We were very close," she said suggestively.

Isabella had to refrain from rolling her eyes at the implication. However, she was extremely relieved and grateful Edward had told her about Anna ahead of time, not to mention how lucky he was! "Yes, Edward has mentioned that you two knew each other many years ago," she answered, refusing to rise to the bait.

Anna couldn't help but bristle at the way Isabella so casually dismissed her relationship with Edward, as if it meant nothing. She opened her mouth to say something back but was interrupted when she felt Vincent step beside her, and squeeze her arm tightly.

"Cullen," Vincent practically hissed as he stared at Edward with blatant animosity.

Edward was prepared to be civil, at least he was until he saw Vincent leer at Isabella like she was a piece of meat and he hadn't eaten in days. _Fucking asshole_ , Edward seethed and stepped forward, fully intending to make sure the piece of shit never looked at Isabella that way again, but was stopped when Johann approached, completely oblivious to the hostility that was present.

"Edward, Isabella, let me show you to your seats," the man said and then managed to turn them toward the aisle so they could get to their places.

Once they were seated, in choice seats about ten rows up, Edward turned anxiously toward Isabella and asked, "Love, are you all right?"

Isabella couldn't help but snicker at her adorably overprotective husband, though he still looked like he would gladly rip Vincent Sinclair from limb to limb if given the chance. "Sweetheart, I'm fine. They are both horrid people, but I'm perfectly capable of dealing with women like Anna Davenport and men, though I use the term loosely, like Vincent Sinclair," she told him and then kissed his cheek.

Edward felt most of his anger melt away with her touch and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry," he told her, though he wasn't sure for what.

"Well, I have to say, you're very lucky you told me about Ms. Davenport before tonight," she told him and narrowed her eyes at him, "but you have nothing to be sorry for, Edward. You've done nothing to either of them to warrant them behaving that way."

"Vincent has always been like that, for as long as I can remember. As for Anna," he trailed off and opened his eyes wide when he heard Isabella snort beside him.

"Edward, really. Anna is probably kicking herself for ever doing what she did to you, for whatever reason she did it. Often, you don't realize what you have until it's gone. Not that I can blame her mind you, you are quite the catch," she said and waggled her eyebrows at him, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

"Nothing compares to you, Beautiful," he told her sweetly, pushing all thoughts of Vincent and Anna to the back of his mind.

The lights went down and the performers walked on stage and both Edward and Isabella were lost in the music and the story. Edward couldn't help but watch her as she soaked up every note and word, and was reminded yet again what a truly extraordinary person she was. Loving, more brilliant than anyone he'd ever met, kind, loyal and as fierce and strong as anyone he knew.

To top all that off, she was his.

When the first act was over and they made their way to the bar to meet Jasper and Alice, Edward couldn't help but wonder when the conspicuously absent angel would make his next appearance.

He didn't have to wait for long to find out. By the time they'd been seated at the table to wait for the others, after being stopped numerous times to say hello to other colleagues and having taken the time to proudly introduce his wife along the way, the angel materialized in the seat opposite him. Seth was wearing a tux that looked unlike any other he'd ever seen before, though there was no way in hell he could ever explain how or what it was that made it different. For an angel, he dressed well, no question about it.

"You almost blew it back there, though I would have loved to see you try to explain the damn angel comment," the angel said without preamble. He waved his hand in front of Edward and the usual amber liquid appeared.

Edward picked the glass up and took a drink, closing his eyes as the angelic scotch flowed down his throat. It really was the most exquisite thing he'd ever tasted.

"Does this taste as good to everyone, or just me?" Edward questioned, purposefully ignoring the statement from before.

Seth gave Edward a level stare but indulged his charge just the same. "Well, my friend, obviously you are the only one aware of where it comes from, but for others that are highly sensitive to our kind, like the lovely Isabella for example, they would realize it tasted like nothing they'd ever had before but then wouldn't know why," the angel remarked with a grin.

"Angelic mumbo jumbo," Edward said with a smile and then took another drink, enjoying both the drink and the few moments of reprieve the angel's presence afforded him.

"Will she ever see you?" Edward wondered aloud. He really didn't know what he thought about that either. On the one hand, as much as the being annoyed the ever-living shit out of him on an almost daily basis, there was no way he could ever discount the immense comfort it gave him to have Seth's guidance. On the other, Seth's presence reminded him, daily, that he was living on borrowed time and he had no idea when it would come to an end.

The otherworldly being let his ice blue eyes twinkle as he stared, very lovingly Edward noted with a scoff, at Isabella. "Edward Anthony, I told you before, everything that concerns you is all part of the same package, most especially the amazing woman beside you. You don't think we went to all that trouble to guide her to you and then let her go, do you?" he asked incredulously and then shook his head. "If there comes a time when my existence becomes necessary for her to know, then yes, but until then I'm afraid it's just me and you."

"You'd never get anything done anyway; you don't fool me for one second," Edward told the angel person with a pointed look. "You'd spend all your damn time giving her googly eyes like a schoolboy."

"And you don't?" Seth challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Edward glanced to his left and couldn't help but reach out and run his fingers down the side of her face. It felt odd to touch her knowing she couldn't feel it, but he couldn't really help himself. What that said about him, he had no idea.

"I know you heard what she told me earlier," Edward said softly as he turned back toward Seth.

"I did."

"She really does love me," Edward stated, and for the first time ever, it didn't come out sounding like a question.

Seth beamed in pleasure, feeling his entire being light up from within. "Yes, Edward, she does."

"Her faith in me is astounding," Edward said slowly as he tried to get his thoughts in order. "Then what she said about CP, I never expected that." He shook his head as the words played over again in his mind.

"She's always believed in you, Edward. We've talked about this already. The thing you need to remember is this, my friend: Isabella is a Cullen. While neither of you have been deeply involved with your family for the obvious reasons, she belongs to your family as much you do, hers. She is the sister Emmett has always wanted, Rosalie, too, for that matter. She's the daughter Esme has always wished for, because we all know Rose doesn't give anyone the warm fuzzies even though we all love her, and as for Carlisle," Seth said and waited until he got Edward's full attention. "She is the example of grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love he needs to follow. She is yours above all else, Edward Anthony, but they all need her."

"She's the strongest person I know," Edward said quietly.

"Unquestionably," the angel responded immediately.

Edward took another drink of the amber liquid and chuckled softly to himself. When he looked up, Seth had raised one eyebrow in question. "I'm just thinking how lucky I am I told her about Anna last night; there is no question she'd have kicked my ass if I hadn't, so thank you for pushing me to do so."

"Like we've established, Eddie, I have my uses every now and then," Seth replied without missing a beat. "Now, let's talk about Vincent and Anna for a moment before I take my leave." When Edward growled the angel couldn't help but laugh. "Knock it off, Edward," he said dismissively. "I have no doubt you can keep the fair Isabella from the evil Vincent's clutches, so let's focus on the more important matter of Anna first shall we?"

"If that son of a bitch," Edward muttered as he recalled the way Vincent raked his eyes over Isabella, practically drooling as he openly stared at her.

Seth slammed his hand down on the table, causing Edward to jump in his seat from the incredibly loud sound. "Enough, Edward! We'll deal with Vincent soon enough, but you need to deal with Anna first and foremost, are we clear?" he demanded, leaving no room for argument.

He waited until Edward nodded his head and then went on in a much gentler voice; a fact of which Edward was most grateful for. He really hated being scolded like a child; at the age of thirty-five who the hell wouldn't? "As uncomfortable as the discussion with Anna is most likely to be, you still have to try to apologize to her," Seth said.

Edward huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is going to really suck; you know that right?"

"Of course I do, but you still have to do it anyway. Edward, while there are understandable reasons for why you did what you did, the fact of the matter remains that you did use Anna. Even people as seemingly unfeeling as her can be hurt by such actions. Make no mistake, Anna knew what she was doing as well, but to knowingly disregard her feelings as you did is wrong. I know she is as much at fault as you are so stop looking at me that way," the angel casually said when he noticed the incredulous look on his charge's face. "Two wrongs never make a right, Edward Anthony. They never have and they never will. Apologize and then leave it in the past."

"I know it was wrong to lead her on and pretend the way I did. I never should have let Grandfather pressure me the way he did," Edward said with obvious regret.

Anna might not have been the nicest of people and she might have been vain and shallow, but he was smart enough to understand that though she didn't show it, she did have feelings just like everyone else. He knew he treated her horribly, practically ignoring her every day, except for the occasional function they had to attend.

"No, you shouldn't have, but you did and now you must own up to your own mistakes. Asking for and granting forgiveness isn't easy for anyone, Edward, but the important things never are," Seth said knowingly.

"I know that," Edward answered, somewhat miserably the angel noticed. "You'll stay close by when it's time, won't you?"

"Yes, I will, but you knew that already. Now, try to relax and spend some time with your friends," the angel instructed and then disappeared.

"Damn bossy seraph," Edward muttered before turning toward Isabella.

He was about to say something when they both heard a very excited, "Bella!" and turned to see Alice Whitlock charging toward them with a huge smile plastered on her face.

Isabella stood up to greet her very exuberant friend. "Alice, it's so good to see you!" she said, meaning it completely. Alice was one of the most cheerful people she knew and she always brought a smile to her face.

"Oh my gosh, you, too! And damn, you look amazing," Alice told her and then hugged her again. "I've missed you."

"Thank you, and I've missed you, too," Isabella answered back and then turned toward Jasper. "Hi, Jasper. Don't you look handsome tonight?" she teased before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Bella, darlin', I'd say between you and Edward, the rest of us could be dressed in paper sacks and no one would even care," he told her and then gave her a hug. He took the time to whisper, "I've never seen either one of you look so happy."

He kissed her quickly and then squeezed her hand before stepping back. "And you, my friend," he said as he turned and looked at Edward. "What the hell was that with Sinclair and Anna? From up in the box it looked like you were about to knock the shit out of him," Jasper asked, a bit hesitantly for he wasn't sure how much Isabella knew.

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle when Isabella practically snarled when he said the two names but there was no mistaking the flash of fire in her eyes. He watched as Edward took her hand in his and waited until she looked at him before he answered, "Fucking asshole was just being his usual snakelike self."

The group sat, and Edward noted with a roll of his eyes that in front of everyone was a glass of what he was sure was not normal champagne, because he didn't order it and it hadn't been there before.

"Show off," he muttered almost silently and he was sure he could almost hear the satisfied laugh of the annoying angel person.

Jasper took a drink of his champagne and was vaguely aware that it tasted better than he could ever remember, but as soon as that thought entered his mind, it was gone again. He smiled as he watched his wife and Isabella catch up and turned to his best friend. "Now, tell me really what the fuck was that all about?" he demanded quietly.

He crooked his eyebrow and waited until Edward sighed and then leaned forward, but still held on to Isabella's hand Jasper noted. "Jas, you should have seen the way he was looking at Isabella," Edward hissed and Jasper had to laugh at him.

"Edward, man, are you fucking blind? Every man and woman here hasn't been able to take their eyes off your wife tonight. She looks beautiful, Edward, though not as beautiful as my Ali of course," he said with a smile.

"She's something else isn't she?" Edward asked and sounded as content as Jasper had ever seen him.

"That she is, my friend," Jasper answered fondly. There was no doubting the way he felt about Isabella, at all.

Edward took a drink of the angelic champagne and snorted as the incredible taste exploded in his mouth. It wasn't quite as good as the scotch, but it would do. He leaned in closer to Jasper, but still didn't let go of his wife's hand and whispered, "Jasper, you should have heard what she said earlier, the way she talked about CP...and Vincent. She was incredible," Edward said with a sigh and Jasper could only widen his eyes in surprise at what Edward told him.

Isabella was a brilliant woman, no question about it, but in all the time she and Edward had been married, though she'd always been supportive, it had never been blatantly so.

"Really?" Jasper asked.

Edward nodded and answered, "Yes, really."

"So, what the hell is up with Anna? Bella knows about her, right?" Jasper asked quietly, not wanting to cause trouble if his friend had been too stupid to tell Isabella about Anna before tonight.

Edward snorted and then kind of shivered which caused Jasper to chuckle. "Yes. Thankfully I was smart enough to tell Isabella about Anna last night, lucky for me."

"No shit, man. How did she take it?" Jasper asked seriously all of a sudden. Judging from the way Isabella and Edward were practically joined at the hip, it didn't seem like she was angry with him, but you could never tell.

Edward sat back in his chair a bit and took a second to think about what he wanted to tell Jasper, because obviously he couldn't tell him everything, especially his reaction to what she'd said and what happened when they got back to the penthouse. "Amazingly. If I would have let go of her, I swear she would have gone after Anna and Vincent right then and there. I don't know how she manages to be so understanding and supportive, but she does. I never should have waited so long to tell her," Edward finished quietly.

Jasper chuckled and waited until Edward looked at him. "You'll get no arguments from me, Edward. I've been after you for years to tell her about Anna. The woman did a real number on you; I know, I was there. Between her and William, you didn't stand a chance," Jasper remarked truthfully.

Edward shook his head immediately and replied back, "That's too easy, Jas. I knew all along what Anna was doing, and what she was after, yet I didn't do anything to stop her. I played along because it was easy and kept Grandfather off my back. I used her as much as she used me. I didn't deserve what she did to me, but she didn't deserve my blatant disregard for her feelings either."

Jasper stared at his best friend for many long moments before saying, "That must have been some plane ride."

Whatever had happened to his friend, and he didn't believe the plane ride story was all it was for one moment, he was extremely glad to see the Edward Cullen he knew coming through.

Edward scoffed and took a sip of his champagne, smiling as the taste exploded in his mouth as a not so subtle reminder, and said, "Jasper, you have no idea."

While Edward and Jasper were talking, Isabella tried to keep up with her friend's lively conversation. Alice was one of the sweetest people she knew, but it took a lot of energy to be friends with her. "So, Bella, tell me, where did you find your dress?" Alice asked as she narrowed her eyes and looked her up and down. Alice had never seen a dress quite like it, and she made a point to know about such things.

Isabella sighed and lifted the hand that wasn't resting inside of Edward's and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. As she did so, she noticed the candlelight reflect off the diamond bracelet around her wrist and she couldn't help but smile and feel her heart expand with love and happiness. The bracelet and earrings were the most beautiful things she'd ever seen and not even for one moment did she think about telling Edward he shouldn't have. She accepted the extravagant gifts in the spirit in which they were intended, to make her feel special. He didn't need to give her diamonds to do so, but she sure as heck wasn't about to tell him to stop!

"Edward got it for me, so honestly, Alice, I have no idea," Isabella answered her.

Alice stared at her friend in disbelief and then immediately came to the conclusion that Edward needed to give Jasper some lessons in the romancing department. The man seriously knew what he was doing judging from the very blissed-out face of Isabella and that dreamy look she had in her eye that only came from a very satisfying love life as well.

She never thought she'd see the day.

Alice took a big drink of her champagne and with a start realized it was the most delicious champagne she'd ever tasted. She made herself a mental reminder to ask what the name of it was so she could tell Jasper to get some for the house, but as soon as that thought entered her mind, it was gone.

It seemed forgetful dust was in the champagne, too.

She shook her head and then looked around the room, catching a glimpse of Anna and Vincent at a table, and both of them were staring in their direction, well, most likely at Edward and Isabella. "That Anna Davenport is some piece of work," she said off-handedly.

Jasper had told her long ago all about the relationship, for lack of a better word, Edward had had with Anna, and at the time Alice had a hard time understanding how Edward had ever gotten involved with her in the first place. Over the years, as she got to know Edward better, or as well as he allowed her to know him and from listening to Jasper worry about his friend, she understood easily how Edward manged to get tangled up with her.

"Vile woman," Isabella practically snarled.

"I take it you know about her and ah...Edward's whatever you want to call it?" Alice questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Alice bit back a laugh when Isabella narrowed her eyes and glared at the other woman; that was certainly unlike the Isabella Cullen she was used to. She had to say, she rather liked seeing her friend be a bit fiery; it just reinforced her belief that things had certainly improved for both Edward and Isabella.

Isabella nodded her head once, very quickly and then picked up her glass of champagne. "He did, luckily for him. Not that I blame him for what happened, mind you, but I would not have enjoyed meeting Anna having not known about their history," Isabella answered as she thought about all Edward had told her.

It wasn't as if she didn't understand that what Edward had done in regard to Anna was wrong, but she knew that women, especially women like Anna, had the innate ability to use a man's weakness and exploit it to their own advantage. In Edward's case, his unwillingness to allow himself to get close to anyone was all fine and good for Anna, as long as it suited her needs. When her needs changed, she didn't understand, nor did she try to, why Edward didn't change as well.

Because Anna didn't really care about Edward at all, and certainly didn't consider his feelings or needs, it didn't take long at all for her to tire of his seeming indifference. As one who was used to getting what she wanted, when she wanted, she lashed out and tried to hurt him.

For all of those reasons, Isabella felt a strong dislike, one that bordered on hatred and she didn't hate anyone, burn like a smoldering fire. No one hurt Edward, especially on purpose, and got away with it. She'd hold her tongue and be polite, but if Anna thought she could intimidate her, she certainly had another thing coming. When it came to Edward, no one was safe from her wrath, especially if they tried it again.

The patrons at the tables surrounding theirs began finishing up their drinks and gathering their things to head back into the theater, so Isabella knew that intermission was coming to a close. She felt Edward squeeze her hand and when she looked at him, he asked, "Are you okay, Beautiful?"

She smiled at him. He was so attentive and sweet sometimes that he made her just stare at him in disbelief. "Yes, I'm fine."

Edward stood and helped Isabella up and then placed his hand on the small of her back. The group headed back into the theater and each duo headed toward their seats. Cullen Publishing did have a box in the theater, but Edward preferred to sit closer to the stage. As the head of the company and the figurehead for the support CP gave the opera, it was expected that he be somewhat accessible and he couldn't do that sitting up in the box. Besides, even though it was probably done unconsciously, he knew Isabella preferred to sit closer to the stage so she could see everything. In the past she might not have attended every performance with him, but she did so often enough so that he knew what she liked and disliked.

The lights were dimmed, and once again Edward found himself lost in the music and the story in front of him, not to mention his beautiful wife beside him.

Anna Davenport looked around the theater from the Sinclair Publishing box as the performance started. She couldn't help but be drawn to Edward and Isabella, no matter how hard she tried. She vaguely heard Vincent and the others beside and behind her crassly discuss things that were certainly not appropriate for their present surroundings. In all honesty, they'd probably only be appropriate in strip club and even then, only barely.

She tuned out Vince and his cronies easily, having had to do so for many years now and decided to just give in and watch Edward and Isabella. She looked on as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and whisper something in her ear. Obviously she had no idea what he said, but judging from the way Isabella ducked her head and he ran his fingers along her neck, it was something intimate and meant only for her.

Sighing she shifted in her seat for suddenly she was filled with a great many unpleasant and admittedly most uncomfortable thoughts; the most prevalent one being, she was jealous. That one threw her for quite the loop because she didn't get jealous of anyone, ever, but she was. She was positively green with it, almost overwhelmed by it. She stared at Isabella Cullen again and though she wouldn't go so far as to say she envied her specifically, it was hard to not want what she had. Edward obviously loved and adored her judging from the way he looked at her and couldn't stop touching her. It was obvious Jasper and Alice Whitlock were both incredibly fond of her by the way they all laughed and hugged when they had greeted one another during intermission. Edward's family also must have loved her based on Emmett and Rose's reactions when they'd all said hello. She noticed Carlisle and Esme were a bit more subdued, but their affection couldn't be denied. Alec and Marcus both fell over themselves trying to say hello and even as she watched Edward introduce her to other people, she seemed to win them over almost immediately.

In the dark of the theater, Anna finally had to admit that Isabella was a beautiful woman; anyone who said any different was lying. She had that classic, elegant beauty and an understated grace that made people, men and women alike, stop and stare at her. What was more, she was positive Isabella had no idea the effect she had on people, which just added to her allure. God, how she envied that.

Anna was a beautiful woman in her own right; she knew that, but it wasn't the same and she knew that, too. Hers came out of bottles and jars, and from hours with a straight iron and in the salon chair. Hers came from Dr. Acosta, the most sought-after plastic surgeon in Chicago and she had his number on speed dial.

Even with all that, with the surgically altered breasts and the lines that she diligently filled will Botox, with the constant waxing and exercising, with the never-ending battle to eat the bare minimum she could get away with so she could wear the designer clothes that filled the numerous walk-in closets of her house and Vincent's house, she still didn't come close to being as beautiful as Isabella.

Vincent sure as hell never looked at her the way Edward looked at Isabella, either, that was for damn sure. Hell, the man barely held the door open for her or helped her with her coat, and those gestures she was sure were done more from habit than because he truly wanted to. She thought for a moment, and with a start that caused her to actually gasp out loud, realized that in the eight years she'd known and been involved with Vincent, though some of that was off and on, he'd never once told her he loved her.

With an even more painful admission, she acknowledged not only did she not mind that so much, but that she didn't love him either. She cared for him, yes, after six plus years of constant companionship he'd definitely grown on her, but she didn't love him. As with Edward, he was more of a means to an end. She hated to be alone; she always had for as long as she could remember and being with Vince was better than the alternative. As that thought slowly took root in her mind it seemed as if time stopped and everything faded away except that one thought that exploded and overtook everything.

She might have been sitting in a dark theater but she might as well have been on the stage naked with a spotlight shining on her as exposed as she felt just then. Her heart started racing and she broke out into a cold sweat as realization after realization swamped her. It was if she'd been in a blinding blizzard and then suddenly the clouds cleared and she could see things clearly for the first time.

She saw how badly she'd treated Edward.

She understood why he'd acted the way he had.

She knew that she'd hurt him.

She finally admitted that she was not the person everyone believed she was.

She saw it all...everything.

God, she'd been such a bitch; she _was_ such a bitch. A steady stream of nameless, faceless people flashed in her mind, over and over and over again. Men and women alike, everyone of them subjected to her holier-than-thou attitude and her grandiose sense of entitlement. Her breathing slowed back to a normal rhythm and she felt herself calm somewhat, though she was still shaken by the revelations. As her eyes came back into focus and she looked at Edward and Isabella, she felt such a heavy weight of regret.

Anna had never taken the time to do much self-introspection. When you thought you were better than everyone, there wasn't much need for such meaningless wastes of time. As she watched the two of them touch and whisper softly back and forth she was filled with another unexpected feeling.

Longing.

She didn't necessarily long for Edward or to be in Isabella's place. She certainly didn't long to BE Isabella either. What she did long for was what the two had together. That sense of completeness that only came from unconditional love. That sense of belonging to someone, not as a trophy to show off, but as a half of a whole. That sense of acceptance. She was sure Isabella wasn't perfect; no one could be. Maybe she snored, or left wet towels on the floor in the bathroom; maybe she was a horrible driver, something. No matter how many flaws she had or didn't have, it was obvious Edward loved her because of them, not in spite of them. And the way she looked at him? Anna was well-acquainted with Edward's numerous flaws, though mostly on a surface level because she never bothered to try to know him, not really. Isabella looked at him with so much love and adoration in her eyes it almost seemed like you were intruding to watch them.

She shifted in her seat again and she thought about doing something she would have sworn with every fiber in her being she would never do. She was going to apologize to Edward. She'd heard the rumors of course about his supposed brush with death or whatever and his change in personality. Vincent scoffed in disbelief about it often enough and then of course she'd heard from Yvette how he'd acted at the restaurant. After witnessing him tonight, she had no doubt whatsoever that something had changed in him...had changed _him_.

As the lights came back on and the second act ended, she was resolved that if Edward Cullen could change, then so could she. She just hoped he would listen to her.

"It's such a good performance," Isabella remarked to Edward as they stood up from their seats. "You should be proud of your support, sweetheart. I am," she told him as he took her hand.

Many other patrons had the same sentiment and Edward and Isabella were stopped many times on their way to the opera Bistro to meet up with Emmett, Rose, Marcus, Alec, and their dates. Isabella excused herself to stop at the bathroom and Edward found himself walking toward the gift shop and ran smack dab into Anna.

"Um...Anna," Edward said nervously as he looked around for his wife. As soon as a flash of white appeared off to the side, he knew that the moment he'd been dreading was finally here.

He quickly looked at Seth who calmly said, "Edward, it will be fine. You can do this."

"But, Isabella," Edward stammered, not quite making excuses, but awfully damn close.

"Is otherwise occupied," the angel replied instantly. "No more waiting, Edward Anthony. Trust me."

Edward sighed, resigned to listen to the otherworldly being. So far, even though Seth had seemed to get immense pleasure in his being uncomfortable, he hadn't lied to him. "Okay," Edward answered finally. "You're staying, right?"

Seth rolled his ice blue eyes and then nodded and motioned for him to proceed.

"Edward...um...I was wondering if you have a moment?" Anna asked and Edward couldn't help but gape at the uncharacteristic way she sounded.

Anna Davenport didn't do unsure, at least not in his experience.

With one more nod of approval and support from the angel, Edward nodded his head and motioned toward an empty sitting area. They each took a seat and stared uncomfortably at one another. Edward noticed out of the corner of his eye that Seth was leaning against the wall.

"Edward, I," Anna began in a shaky voice.

"Anna, there is something," Edward began at the same time.

Anna shifted in her seat and then took a deep breath. Seeing Edward look as uncomfortable as she felt actually helped settle her nerves. She straightened her shoulders and resolved to follow through with what she wanted to accomplish by talking to Edward. He didn't immediately tell her to go to hell which gave her hope that he'd at least listen.

Edward stared at Anna and watched a myriad of emotions flash across her face. It was plain to see that there was something that she wanted to say to him, so being the gentleman he was brought up to be, he said, "Why don't you go first."

"Thank you," Anna breathed out in relief. She wasn't sure she'd have been able to sit and listen to what he wanted to say without saying her peace first. "This is honestly the last thing I ever expected to do, especially tonight, but I don't see any point in waiting for another time."

She stopped and took a deep breath and looked at him. She was struck immediately of how handsome he was, how green his eyes were, but there was also a sense of peace and contentment that surrounded him, and she was well aware that was not there when they knew one another all those years ago. In the next instant, she realized how sad and angry and alone he had been, too.

God, she'd been such a blind, hateful bitch.

"You've changed," she said quietly, not really meaning to say it out loud.

Edward heard her though, and leaned forward in his seat. "I have," he answered simply, not feeling as though he owed her any sort of explanation.

"I'm...happy for you," she said and though the words were hard to say, she meant them completely. She sighed and hung her head not sure what to say next.

Edward gaped at her in disbelief. In a million years he never would have expected those words to come out of her mouth. When Edward didn't respond back she picked her head up and looked nervously at him.

"I know, right? Not what you expected to hear, I'm sure," she said nervously. "Look, Edward," Anna said, suddenly wanting to come clean. "It's been a long time since we've spent any time together, and even then it was barely more than a hello more often than not. I know," she sighed and then went on in a rush, "Edward, I was a bitch and I'm sorry for hurting you the way I did." Awkward.

Edward shook his head, stunned, and then looked at the angel, who had what looked like a cross between hope and hesitation on his face. "You knew she was going to say that?" Edward asked immediately.

"Not for sure, but there was a possibility," Seth answered calmly.

"Why didn't you warn me?" Edward demanded.

Seth moved from the wall to stand beside Edward. "Edward Anthony, first of all you know I can't read minds so I wasn't positive what Anna was going to do but as we've already established, I'm excellent at reading body language. It was apparent that Anna was wrestling with her own demons as Faust was wrestling his on stage, though hopefully with different outcomes." The angel snickered. "She's older now, Edward. Wouldn't it be fair to assume that during the time you two have gone your separate ways she might have grown up some? As much as you both used each other, there were reasons both of you acted the way you did. Until recently you hadn't given much, if any, thought to why you acted the way you did, but have you stopped to wonder why she acted the way she did? The door has been opened, Edward, meet her halfway and tell her what you need to."

Edward looked at Anna and suddenly he didn't see the woman that looked down her nose at everyone and everything, instead he saw someone who was still searching for what she thought was missing from her life. "Anna," Edward began softly and in a much gentler tone of voice he would have ever expected.

When she looked up at him, he saw himself, saw where he was on his path to righting his own wrongs. He saw the fear of rejection, the belief that it was too little too late, but he also saw the hope for another chance buried beneath that as well.

He quickly remembered the words Charlie had spoken to him not too long ago... _No one was undeserving of love._ Well, if that went for him, it certainly went for the woman across from him as well.

"I'm sorry, too. We were both very unfair to the other. I know I treated you horribly and I know that I hurt you as well. I hope you'll forgive me?" Edward asked.

Anna immediately felt her eyes fill with tears and then she nodded her head and said, "If you'll forgive me?"

Edward had to blink a few times and then took a few very uneven and deep breaths to keep himself under control. It was amazing the immense amount of relief he felt as soon as the words had left his mouth. Unbelievable really, how five words could have such an effect. He nodded his head and then dared to look to his right. He found Seth with a huge smile on his face, his eyes twinkling, and if he wasn't mistaken, some sort of light seemed to shine all around him.

"Well done, Edward Anthony," Seth said with much emotion.

"That was..." Edward said slowly as he struggled to find the words to explain.

The angel glided and stopped in front of his charge, more proud than he could ever remember being. The steps he'd made with Isabella, the effort he'd made with Emmett, Rose, Carlisle, and Esme, the admissions he'd made to Charlie were all important, necessary steps sure, but even if Edward didn't realize it fully, all those people loved him in spite of the mistakes he'd made. Forgiveness from all of them, even Carlisle though they hadn't gotten to that point yet, really wasn't ever in question. Forgiveness from Anna, even Seth had to admit, was a bit up in the air on which way it would go.

"Not as bad as you thought it would be?" the angel asked with a smirk.

Edward tipped his head back and leaned it against the back of the chair, stared up at the ceiling, and blew out a long, calming breath. He sat back up, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. There were still things that weighed on his heart and things that needed to be dealt with, but there was absolutely no denying that he'd taken a giant step forward. _He was proud of himself,_ Edward thought with a very self-satisfied smile.

"No, as usual you're right. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Edward admitted, and he did so with much less annoyance than usual the very pleased angel recognized with a grin. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're always right; I'm always wrong," Edward remarked and then smiled.

Damn, he felt good.

He looked at Anna and said, "Well, I can't say I ever expected this turn of events." He chuckled and then coughed to try to keep from laughing out loud at their current predicament.

Anna rolled her eyes and giggled, feeling much like Edward in that she felt lighter, freer all of a sudden. "No kidding. Thank you, Edward, really for listening to me. I know I don't deserve it," she went on but Edward stopped her right away.

He knew exactly what her next words were going to be and immediately understood what both Isabella and the annoying angel person had been telling him all along. Everyone deserved a second chance if they were willing to make an effort to mend fences with those they'd hurt.

Even Anna.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Anna," he told her repeating the words he'd just told himself.

Anna couldn't help but let a few tears fall at the sincerity and absolute conviction she heard in Edward's voice. She resolved right then and there that she would not waste the opportunity Edward's forgiveness had given her. If he could change, she had no doubt she could, too.

Seth nodded in approval, pleased beyond measure to hear Edward's words to Anna. Maybe he did get it, finally.

Edward looked up and found Isabella watching him with a concerned but not upset or angry look on her face. When he smiled at her, and he gave her _her_ smile, she blew him a kiss and then turned to finish her discussion with Alec and Marcus. He knew he would have to tell her what he was doing; not that he even thought for one moment of not telling her mind you.

Anna couldn't help but cast a worried glance in Isabella's direction. She really didn't want to cause any trouble, even though that would surprise most everyone. She gasped softly when Isabella turned around after giving Edward and her a smile.

"She's very beautiful and it's obvious you love her very much," Anna told Edward when he turned back to her.

"She is, and yes, I do. More than I ever thought it was possible," Edward admitted easily.

Anna looked back toward Isabella again, admiring her in a way she'd never done to another woman before. She noticed the way her dress hung perfectly on her body, the way her hair was styled elegantly, but not overdone. The way her makeup highlighted and accentuated, but didn't overpower. The way she held herself while she talked, confident and open, and had a smile for everyone, well, except for Vincent, and Anna really couldn't blame her for that.

All of a sudden she felt uncomfortable and she shifted in her seat. For the first time ever Anna was embarrassed of herself. She looked down at her dress and cringed as she took in way too much skin and not enough dress. She knew what her makeup looked like and knew, unfortunately, what the shoes on her feet looked like as well. _What the hell was she thinking_ , she wondered when she decided to wear this dress, and tonight of all nights for God's sake. Another moment of thought was all it took for her to acknowledge exactly what she was trying to do; it was what she'd always done. She was trying to get attention. Instead of earning it the way Isabella did, with class and grace, Anna had always demanded it, craved it, and did whatever was necessary to get it. Why? She really had no idea. but she resolved to figure that out as well. Damn, it had certainly been a night of revelations.

Edward heard Anna moving uneasily in her chair and he looked at her in question. Anna faced him and instead of finding him looking at her in disdain, she only saw encouragement. "You two are very fortunate, Edward. I really am very happy for you. Isabella is a lucky woman."

"Actually it's me that is the lucky one. Isabella has been more patient and more forgiving than I've ever had a right to expect, but she loves me as I love her. She makes me want to be a better man and a better husband, but she also loves me for me; she always has. I was just too afraid to see that." Edward stood up, anxious to get back to his wife. "Anna, don't let Vincent turn you into someone you're not. I'm not saying that because I dislike him, though you and I both know I do. I'm saying that because I believe you are better than what you've allowed yourself to become. If I can change and be happy, then so can you. All of us deserve to be happy...well maybe except for Vincent," he said with a grin.

He stepped forward and kissed her quickly on the cheek, not sure if their paths would ever cross again, but he knew if they did, it would be as friends. "Be happy, Anna."

Anna had to swallow a few times and she wiped the tears out from beneath her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Edward," even though he'd already turned to walk away.

Edward looked at Seth, who quite frankly was staring at his assignment in amazement. "You know, Edward, there have been very few times in my existence I've ever been rendered speechless, but you, my friend, have...I don't even have any words to tell you how proud I am of you right now."

Edward chuckled, not sure what to even say to that. He looked back and saw Anna staring out the window, and even from that far away he could see the difference in the way she stood and held her head up high. "You watch over her; help her if she needs it," Edward demanded without even stopping to think about what he was asking. He knew, better than anyone, how difficult taking those first steps toward making things right was and Anna wasn't blessed with someone like Isabella by her side. Lord knew Vincent was worthless.

"You giving me the orders now, Eddie?" the angel asked with an incredulous look on his face; of course he was also sporting a grin a mile wide, too.

Edward nodded and said, "You told me that everyone that was important to me was part of the same package. Well, it's important to me that Anna be given a second chance to be the person she could be." Edward crossed his arms and glared at the otherworldly being.

"And what if she chooses to stay with Vincent?" the angel asked, purposely goading Edward. Seth felt there was very little chance that after tonight Anna Davenport would have anything to do with Vincent Sinclair, but you never knew with humans, especially female ones.

"Doesn't matter," Edward answered immediately. "Even if she stays with...him...it doesn't mean she can't change."

"Edward Anthony Cullen, you are something else," Seth said with a shake of his head and then disappeared.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered. He shrugged his shoulders, happy to have spoken with Anna, but now ready to get back to his wife. He walked up behind her where she stood talking with his friends and family and pressed his nose against the side of her neck, kissing her quickly. He heard her sigh and then she turned around and looked at him, searching his face to find any hint of distress. She trusted him completely, only worrying about him being upset at all and when he looked at her with bright, clear green eyes and a sexy, lazy smile, she knew without a doubt that he was just fine.

"You'll tell me what that was about?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely, Beautiful. I love you," he told her tenderly.

She stepped up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. "I love you, Edward."

He took her hand in his and visited with everyone before the final act started. As he looked across the room and saw Carlisle, he knew there was still work to be done. He also knew, with any luck, as well as some heavenly intervention, it just might turn out as well as things with Anna had.

He could only hope.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Soooo? What does everyone think about that turn of events? I know, KNOW, most of you were hoping for a knock down, drag out between Isabella and Anna, but I hope you all can understand why things had to go this way. Edward has had it pretty easy thus far in terms of being forgiven, it would have been pretty hypocritical for him not to offer the same forgiveness to Anna don't you think? I will tell you, Vincent does NOT get the some consideration in the next chapter.**

***Oh, and I've taken some liberties with the Opera and the performance schedule, so just go with it, okay? Artistic license, you know?**

**Again, I hope you all will take a few moments and read the outtake that I posted on Friday. It does give you some information I think you'd all like to see as well as help set up some things that will happen in future chapters.**

**Teaser will be on Fictionators tomorrow, and the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out. Make sure to look at the polyvore tab and the new pictures under the story images. Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, so you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I wanted to try something new, so tomorrow night, Monday the 28th we'll be having an open discussion on the discussion board at 8pm central time. If you have any questions you've been dying to ask or any comments you'd like to make, bring them all and I'll answer as best I can. Just look for the thread titled "Questions for Erin, Feb 28th" and I'll be there! I hope to see lots of you there as well. If we can get this to work, I'll try to make this a regular thing.**

**www(.)les16(.)proboards(.)com**

**Tomorrow is the last day to donate to the FADV fundraiser. I hope you will all consider donating to this very worthy cause. For those of you that have read the complete Seth Story outtake or got the sneak peek in the review reply, how did you like it? I know it's hard to read and it's pretty dark, but I hope you'll understand our Seth a bit better!**

**I have also submitted an outtake from the honeymoon for the Fandoms4Floods fundraiser. The link will be on the blog. Donations will begin being accepted on March 1st and you will get a compilation of works from some of the best authors in the fandom. It's for a great cause so I hope you'll consider donating. If you have any questions, feel free to email, PM or find me on Twitter!**

**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra I am going to be sending you what Isabella was thinking while Edward and Anna were talking, how about that? So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16(.)yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one made me nervous!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Amanda, Kat, Mary, Becky, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost. This chapter I've needed all the help and the prodding I could get, so a very big thank you to Laurel, Aleea, Kat, and Jen for keeping me from jumping off a ledge!**

**Thank you so much to all of you who voted for The Greatest Gift to be a Fic of the Week on The Lemonadestand Blog. Lab Tech Andi from Dr. Cullen's Loveshack (www(.)drcullensloveshack(.)blogspot(.)com wrote up the most awesome review so please go take a look at it! Oh and btw...while you are there, take a look around the blog, too! There are some awesome rec's on there not to mention some very drool-worthy pictures! Thanks so much to Andi and PAWsPeaches for the TGG spotlight, it is much appreciated!**

**www(.)tehlemonadestand(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now...on with the story! This one...we've all been waiting for...for a REALLY long time!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 19**

Carlisle settled into his seat before the lights went down so the final act could begin. He looked to his right and smiled when he saw his wife staring, unsurprisingly, at Edward and Isabella who were a few rows in front of them. They could have sat up in the CP box with the others, but attending the opera was one of the things Esme enjoyed more than just about anything and well, as much as he loved Emmett, appreciating the arts was not necessarily his forte. He watched Edward visit with the people sitting around him, laughing quietly at something someone had said. He kept a hold of Isabella's hand; in fact if Carlisle was to guess, he'd have to say he'd barely let go of her all night.

Carlisle looked around the theater and took in all the different people, people he'd known for the majority of his life for the most part. People he worked with and against. Most he liked, some he didn't. They were the owners of some of the biggest and most well-known businesses in Chicago and other places, too. They were the movers and shakers of the business world, the arts, doctors, lawyers; all successful in their own rights. As he looked from person to person, the thing that struck him the most was not one of them looked as content as his son did.

He watched from his position as Edward leaned forward in his seat to speak to Grant Keith. They got engrossed, from what he could see, in conversation but it only took a few minutes for Edward to let go of Isabella's hand and place his hand on her back, while she spoke to Kara Markussen. He gazed at them in amazement when Edward, seemingly without realizing he was doing so, rubbed her back gently in a circle, almost as if to remind her that he was still there, or maybe it was to remind him she was still there. Whatever it was, it took him quite by surprise.

Over the past few weeks, since the dinner at Emmett's, Carlisle had spent a great deal of time deep in thought. He couldn't count the number of times Esme had caught him sitting at his desk in his study at home, staring off into space or the number of times he'd lost track of what someone was saying during a meeting at the Foundation and at the office. He couldn't seem to get the conversation he and Edward had had out of his mind. He replayed the words over and over again and each time he was struck anew just how badly he'd misread the entire situation it seemed in regard to Edward and William. He could finally admit, though it was only to himself and not the person who needed to hear it, that he'd been wrong.

So very, very wrong.

He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. Carlisle knew the time was coming, and in all honesty he would rather sooner than later, when he, Esme, Edward and he was sure, Isabella, would have to sit down and talk about the things that had happened to Edward before he left Ireland as well as what happened once he'd come to live with them. As he quickly thought back over that tense, difficult, but also wonderful time, he could easily see, with the gift of hindsight and age, the plethora of mistakes he'd made where Edward was concerned. How when his father swooped in almost immediately with prompts and suggestions, he let him. How both he and Esme let Edward try to work through whatever had hurt him by himself because that was what they assumed he wanted based on his actions. How over the years he'd let his own bitterness and resentment toward his father affect his relationship with Edward until it got to the point that it had. How he was too afraid, and truthfully, too fucking proud to make the first move to mend their relationship.

Esme wasn't the only one that spent a good deal of time so far this evening watching his son and daughter-in-law. There was something about them both, tonight especially, that just seemed to draw your attention to them. It wasn't as if they were acting in a way that made them noticeable, but more just the aura that surrounded them. He'd noticed it the moment they entered the dining room and spoke with Johann. He'd noticed it during the first intermission when they sat with Jasper and Alice. He could see it now.

The thought that slammed into Carlisle like a Mack truck as he heard Edward's unmistakable laugh drift up toward him was that he was tremendously proud of the man his son had become. It was obvious from the way Isabella looked at him, the way Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, and the others embraced him, and the way his peers and colleagues acted around him, that Edward had changed. He wasn't sure if he and Edward would ever be at a place where he would be privy to the reason behind it, but he could always hope.

And hope he would.

"Love, do you need anything before the final act begins?" Edward asked once he'd sat back in his seat and focused his attention solely on his wife.

She shook her head and Edward couldn't help but sigh at how beautiful she looked. "No, thank you, sweetheart, I'm okay," Isabella answered him.

He reached for her hand and picked it up, brushing a light kiss across the back of it. He was still a bit worried she was upset with him for talking to Anna, but so far she had said very little so he didn't know for sure. She didn't seem to be, but the thought of her being angry at him twisted his stomach in knots. "You're sure you're not upset with me for speaking to Anna?" he asked quietly as the lights dimmed.

"Did she upset you, or say anything that hurt you?" Isabella asked immediately.

Edward shook his head. "No, love, it wasn't anything like that. It was a bit uncomfortable yes, but it was good to clear the air."

"Then there is nothing for me to be upset about. Edward, I trust you, completely. When we get home, you can tell me what you two talked about if you want to, but as long as you are all right, then I'm good," she told him.

"You're so good to me," Edward said softly as the actors made their way onto the stage.

Isabella pulled their joined hands onto her lap and squeezed his. "That's because no one is more important to me than you. You're my Edward," she said and then sighed.

Edward leaned over and bent his head close to her. He nuzzled her neck with his nose and then placed his lips right by her ear and whispered softly, "I've always and only been yours, Beautiful."

Isabella settled against him, feeling his words fill her heart and soul with an abundance of love so great she was sure she would explode with it. What he just said to her was the reason she could wait to get home before finding out what Edward and Anna talked about. Now, if he had been upset, that would have been a completely different story. Tiger Isabella would definitely have shown her claws if that had been the case.

All night she couldn't help but feel like she and Edward had been on display and while that would normally bother her a great deal, admittedly tonight, she didn't mind at all. She was proud to stand beside Edward, proud to be introduced to his colleagues, and most importantly, proud to be his wife. She loved the quiet moments they spent with each other at home but she couldn't help but get a thrill as she watched him work the room so to speak while he visited and networked. She felt a little bubble of glee, and in all honesty it bordered on conceit, though Isabella would never feel like she was better than anyone, to be by his side.

Over the past month, as she had spent more time working beside him, she could fully appreciate just how charismatic and magnetic a man he was. It wasn't like she didn't know that already, but really up until she started on the project with Emmett, she didn't spend much time at the office at all. There were meetings she needed to attend with her fellow editors and the clients she personally worked with. There were executive meetings where her presence was required, if only because she was a Cullen and Edward's wife. She and Alec tried to have lunch once a week to catch up. There were functions that she attended with Edward as representatives for the company, but nothing on the scale as the past month had been. While she wouldn't go so far to say that Edward's work schedule for most of the time they'd been married was acceptable, especially because he used it as a means of avoidance, she'd always known just how important CP was to him.

She meant, wholeheartedly, what she'd told him earlier. She had every intention going forward of doing everything she could to ensure CP's success. She couldn't help but feel a bit, and actually a lot at times, ashamed of the hands-off approach she'd taken so far. Admittedly, Edward never asked for more input from her and he didn't ever seem like he wanted it, either, but she couldn't help but feel like if she'd made more of an effort at that aspect of things, maybe Edward would have made more of an effort as well.

She looked to her left and found Edward watching her instead of the stage.

_That seemed to happen quite a lot,_ she thought. "Edward, you need to pay attention," she chided, thought not very seriously.

"I suppose you're right. Nonna told me to pay close attention in the final act for some reason. I'd hate for her to give me a quiz tomorrow after Mass and not be able to pass." Edward snickered in her ear.

His warm breath caused her to break out in goosebumps and of course her husband being the adorable man he was, let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. She wasn't cold but she sure as hell wasn't about to tell him that!

Edward chuckled softly as Isabella snuggled up close to him. He turned his head and kissed the top of hers and then focused on the stage in front of him. All performance long he'd had this feeling of not so much foreboding, but expectation. Nonna would never have specifically told him to pay attention if there wasn't a meaning behind it. He also had a feeling the annoying angel person was hovering; he could feel him.

Of course he could just be close by so he could ogle his wife from wherever the heck he was.

The performance started and Edward lost himself in the story before him. Sometime later, the scene changed on the stage and Edward felt his skin prickle. The music changed and Edward's heart began to beat faster as he watched Gretchen pray for the seemingly forsaken Faust. It was so eerily similar to what he imagined Isabella had said during her own prayers. She'd told him numerous times, Seth had as well, how she prayed for him. She never told him specifically what she prayed about and he hadn't asked, but watching the stage in front of him he couldn't help but imagine it was much the same. He watched, transfixed, as Faust met his end and through the grace of God and because of his constant attempts to change his ways, coupled with Gretchen's prayers, he was saved from Mephistopheles. As the scene hit its crescendo, Edward felt himself completely fall apart. He knew he was still sitting in the opera house; he knew Isabella was right next to him, but it was as if he separated from his body, only to come back together again as the music faded away as well. In that one moment, where it seemed as if he was in two different places at the same time, Edward saw more than he'd ever seen before, even more than when he was on that damnable plane ride those many weeks ago.

Yes, he'd made so many mistakes in his life that they were too many to count. Yes, he'd hurt the people he loved, Isabella especially, but his family and friends as well. Yes, he'd been traumatized and damaged when he was only a boy and that had affected him deeply, probably on levels he hadn't even begun to explore yet, but as he watched Faust ascend toward heaven on the stage, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of completeness, of tranquility.

Somehow, he knew things would be okay. He wasn't sure what that meant, but he was sure of what he was feeling. He didn't want to die and had come to terms with the reason for Seth's presence in his life, but he had faith that everything would work out the way it was supposed to.

He knew his eyes were going to be rimmed with red and he knew there would be the telltale trace of tears on his cheeks and he knew without a doubt Isabella would know that he'd been crying. He hoped she would just think he was moved by the performance, not because he had been in the middle of the most intense out-of-body experience he could ever imagine. He had no idea what had happened to him, but he sure as hell knew that the first chance he got, he was asking the all-knowing angel. He'd be putting that theory to the test post haste.

He tried, as unobtrusively as possible, to wipe beneath his eyes, but of course Isabella caught him right away. He gave her a smile and a slight shrug of his shoulders. He'd known she'd know anyway; there hadn't been any point at all of trying to hide it.

Isabella felt her stomach drop when she looked at Edward and saw that he'd been crying, but she said nothing. She felt him during the final act when he'd squeezed her hand so tight she lost feeling in it but she didn't acknowledge it. It was obvious the scene was affecting him and though she was incredibly curious to know exactly what had moved him so deeply, she'd wait until they were alone to ask him. She had a guess as to what it was, after all, she knew him better than anyone, so she knew not to push.

When the lights to the theater came back on and everyone stood and clapped, Isabella looked once again at her husband and though his eyes and nose were a tiny bit red, he looked and seemed just fine, better than fine actually.

Once the audience had finished clapping and the performers had taken their final bows Isabella turned to Edward and whispered, "Congratulations, sweetheart. Tonight has been a tremendous success."

Numerous people approached to tell him the same thing and then finally they were able to make their way out of the theater. When they finally stopped in the lobby, Isabella caught Vincent staring at them out of the corner of her eye. She turned and gazed at him levelly, trying to figure out exactly what the hell his problem was. He stared back at her, his eyes cold and vacant, and then winked at her before turning back to his group of people. She also noticed that he didn't even bother to acknowledge Anna's presence right beside him either. He was too wrapped up in whatever he was talking about with his colleagues to pay her any attention at all. Anna must have felt her looking at her because she turned in her direction and when Isabella smiled at her, she couldn't help but gasp but gave her a grateful smile in return.

Surprisingly, any anger she'd felt toward the other woman faded immediately. It was clear that she had no nefarious intentions toward her or Edward and as long as that remained the case, Isabella couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Vincent was a snake, just like Edward had said, and Anna deserved better than him. No one deserved to be subjected to the vile man.

"Beautiful, we're going to be late if we don't head toward the restaurant," Edward said as he reached for her arm.

She shook her head and realized that everyone was waiting on her so they could leave. Edward had made reservations for them all at Coco Pazzo for after opera drinks and dessert. He also let it slip it was so the family and Jasper, Alice, Alec, Marcus, and their dates could celebrate her birthday as well. It was completely unnecessary but she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings so she smiled and let Edward help her with her wrap.

The restaurant was within walking distance and Edward kept his arm tightly wrapped around her to ward off the chill and just because he was Edward.

She listened to Alice and Rosalie chatter and she heard Jasper laugh at something Emmett had said. She chuckled, there was no telling what that could have been.

She looked up when she felt someone step alongside her and smiled when she realized it was Alec. She glanced behind her and noticed that his date was talking to Camille.

Alec rolled his eyes at her when she looked back at him. "Um, yeah, Amber wasn't a big fan of the opera," he said in his usual sarcastic way.

One look at the beautiful woman he'd brought as his date and it wasn't that hard to figure out. Alec always had a tendency to pick looks over brains; it had been that way for as long as he could remember. It was something he hoped to change in the near future.

"Oh, Alec." Isabella giggled at him.

Edward was talking to Carlisle and Esme so she stepped away from him and hooked her arm in Alec's. Edward looked at her in question when he felt her move away from him and then gave her a sweet smile when he saw she was talking with Alec. She blew him a kiss and Alec couldn't help but chuckle at the two of them.

If he didn't love them both so much, they'd surely make him sick.

He laughed even harder when Isabella tried to give him what he was sure was supposed to be a glare, but instead it wound up as some sort of wink kind of thing. "Bella, give it up, honey. You can't give anyone a dirty look, especially me. You love me too much to get mad at me," he teased her.

"Don't bet on it, buster. Good thing for you you're right though." She laughed back at him.

He bumped her hip with his and they walked a few steps before he remarked, "You both look exceptionally happy, Bella. I couldn't be happier for either of you."

Alec knew he acted like a dick most of the time and he made no apologies for it. He was a classic Type-A personality and because he didn't have a wife, a family, or much else, he worked harder than anyone he knew, besides Edward that was.

Well, the old Edward, he reminded himself.

He didn't have many friends, never felt the need for them really. He had a job he thoroughly enjoyed, he found himself company of the female persuasion easily and often, he worked out at the gym and ate out at the best restaurants almost every night. He was content, not particularly happy, but not unhappy either. His job kept him busy enough so that he didn't have much time to think about all the things that were missing from his life, but ever since Edward's abrupt change, he found himself questioning the path he was on more and more.

_Damn Edward,_ he thought, though it was done so with affection.

"Thank you, Alec. Things are...really good," Isabella answered him with a sigh.

Alec snickered. "I'd say so. You know there is a bet at the office to try to guess what's going on with him?"

Isabella immediately pulled him to a stop and gave him an incredulous look. He was shocked at how angry she got, and how quickly, too, not to mention when the Italian, or what he assumed was Italian started spewing from her mouth.

"E 'affari cazzo di nessuno cosa gli è successo e se trovo chi ha parlato di lui, ne pentirai!" _(It's no one's fucking business what happened to him and if I find out who has been talking about him, they'll be sorry!)_

He watched, stunned, as her hands started waving about and her eyes turned almost black she was so mad.

"Alec, what the hell?" he heard Edward ask harshly as he stepped beside Isabella.

"Man, I have no idea," Alec answered and watched in disbelief as Isabella calmed down immediately when Edward touched her arm.

She took a deep breath and then smiled gently at him and said softly, "I'm fine, Edward. Let me talk to Alec for a few minutes. You all go on in; we won't be long."

"Isabella," he said, sounding completely torn about leaving her.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Really. Get our table and order me something really sweet," she told him and then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Alec was still reeling; he had no idea what had set Bella off so badly, and he felt awful for upsetting her. Not that he minded seeing her get so riled up, though. She was magnificent when she was angry, though he was sure that he'd hate to be on the receiving end of her ire.

"Sorry, Alec," Edward told him and Alec waved him off immediately.

He didn't know what the hell was going on but he damn sure knew Edward was only worried about Bella being upset.

The rest of their party went into the restaurant and everyone gave them a worried look as they passed by, well, all except Amber. If that didn't tell him everything he'd ever need to know, he didn't know what would. _He sure knew how to pick them_ , he thought with a huff. He looked anxiously at Bella and let out a very relieved breath when she smiled at him.

"I'm so sorry, Alec," she told him and ducked her head in embarrassment he guessed.

"So am I, though I have no idea for what," he told her with a shake of his head. "Bella, what the hell was that?"

He watched her blush and damn it all if he didn't love her just a little bit more.

She laughed a little, which made him feel better immediately, and then he watched as she shivered from the cool air. He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it across her shoulders and then motioned to the bench along the sidewalk. He led her to the bench and waited for her to tell him what the hell was going on.

Bella blew out a breath, pushed her hair back behind her ear, and then turned and looked at him. "I'm really sorry about that little outburst," she began and he snorted instantly.

"Little, Bella? You scared the ever-living shit out of me and I didn't even understand a word you said," he told her. "It's obvious what I said upset you. At the risk of having you rattle off Italian at me, you want to tell me what got you so riled up?"

He watched her play with her fingers and he could tell she was uneasy, though why, he had no idea. "Bella, come on, you can talk to me."

He knew it was weird and it kind of pissed him off that Marcus knew how he felt about Bella. Oh, he wasn't an idiot, he knew exactly how Bella and Edward felt about each other and really, he didn't have those kinds of feelings for her either. It was more of a fantasy type of thing. Bella was his ideal of the perfect woman and he couldn't help but compare every woman he met to her, and unfortunately for him and for them, none ever measured up. He adored and respected Bella more than any other woman he'd ever met. He meant every word he'd told Marcus not that long ago. In his eyes, Bella was perfect; she was beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, and from what he just witnessed, feisty as all get out. How could he ever want anyone that wasn't like she was? He felt the same affection and admiration for Edward, too, well maybe not quite the same but he was a close second. He and Edward had been friends for a long time; Alec didn't have many of them to begin with, and he would never disrespect either him or Bella by acting inappropriately.

"Alec, you've known Edward for a long time, longer than me, and I know he hasn't always been the easiest of people to be around," she began and giggled when Alec rolled his eyes at her statement. "You and I both know he's different, but I hate the thought of him being subjected to gossip like that. Something happened to him, and it's really not anyone's fucking business what it was except for me and the rest of you if he chooses to tell you. It's nothing to joke about and it's certainly not something meant to be office fodder. He's been so unhappy for such a long time and I won't let anything get in the way of that changing, at least not if I can help it," she told him in the fiercest voice he'd ever heard her use.

The use of the f-word didn't go unnoticed either.

He really felt like an asshole when she got done talking. With as much time as he spent with Edward at the office, he knew better than just about anyone how much he had changed and the effort he was putting forth to be a different man. He wasn't ever one for sappy, sentimental shit, but even he was moved by the changes he'd seen in his friend.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, and you're right. Whatever has happened to him, it's no one's business but yours and his. He's told me a bit, but I know there's more to it than that. I've known him for a long time, Marcus has known him even longer, and neither of us have seen him any happier than he's been for the last month. You two deserve every bit of it, too," Alec told her.

"I'm scared, Alec," she whispered so softly he almost didn't hear her, but hear her he did.

"Honey," he said in a pained voice and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "Why?"

Isabella pursed her lips and closed her eyes for a moment. She'd needed to talk about something for weeks now and she'd struggled with trying to decide who she should turn to. She'd talked a bit with her mom and Nonna, but no one else. She didn't feel comfortable enough talking to Rose only because Rose's allegiance would always lay with Emmett over Edward. She didn't trust talking to Alice because as much as she loved her, Alice couldn't keep a secret to save her life. She felt odd talking to Jasper or Emmett only because they were the people Edward turned to and she didn't want to intrude on that. She had a great relationship with Marcus but that didn't feel right either. Truthfully, Isabella had always felt the most comfortable with Alec. It didn't make any sense at all especially because they were so totally opposite of each other, but maybe that was why it worked. They'd always gotten along really well and he never took any of Edward's bullshit or attitude lying down.

"Bella, come on, you can tell me. What's up?" Alec prodded her.

He waited for her to figure out what she wanted to say, but he could tell whatever it was had been weighing heavily on her. He felt even worse than he did earlier. It seemed like everyone, himself included, had been so focused on figuring out what was up with Edward that they'd all forgotten about her.

Fuck.

Bella reached up and pulled his jacket tighter around her and then looked at him. In a very quiet voice she said, "I don't want him to go back to the way he was, Alec. We've been so happy this past month and it would kill me if something happened and he changed back. I'm...I'm not sure I could handle that."

"Oh, Bella. Damn, come here," Alec told her and scooted her as close to him as he could get her. He rubbed the top of her arm with his hand and with the other reached across his lap and grabbed her hand. "How long have you been carrying that little tidbit around?" he asked.

She snorted and then rolled her eyes. "A while," she said evasively.

"Bella, look, we've always been honest with each other so I'm not going to lie to you. I can understand why you're worried, and I don't blame you, but you can't think like that. I never thought I'd see the day when Edward laughed and joked around, but he's been a completely different person for weeks now. I don't know him as well and you and the others do but I know him well enough to know, the Edward of late, that's the real Edward. That sullen, miserable Edward of before, that was just him protecting himself. I don't know from what and it's none of my business. If Edward or you want to tell me, that's fine, but I don't need to know it in order to know that Edward is a good man. Honey," Alec softened his voice and looked at her. "I love you both, I really do. I'm a self-absorbed asshole most of the time, I know I am, but even I can see how much the two of you love each other. Everyone at the opera tonight could tell; it was plain as day. I've never seen a man look at a woman, ever, the way Edward looks at you. It is like you're his saving grace and he'd be lost without you and hell that's probably the truth. I'm not telling you things will be perfect, because they won't. Edward is without a doubt the most stubborn, aggravating person I know, but you two love each other. And...keep this in mind, if he fucks up...you just come to me. I'll kick his ass from here to next week, and if that doesn't work, I'll just steal you away from him. You never know, if you gave me a shot, you might even like me more than him," he teased and kissed the side of her head.

"Alec," Isabella chided him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she told him quietly after a moment.

"Anytime, Bella, remember that," he told her and then helped her up. "If I don't get you back in there, not only will I have to deal with Edward but a very upset Alice, too, and no one wants that, so let's head in. You okay?" he asked once they were both standing up.

Isabella nodded at him and gave him a very sweet, gentle smile. "Alec Tipton, you don't fool me for one damn minute. You're a hell of a man and someday soon you'll find someone who appreciates you," she told him and then kissed his cheek. "Thank you again."

"Well, if there's someone out there for me, I guess I'm just going to have to look harder, huh?" he asked her and he wasn't kidding.

Not one fucking bit.

They made their way into the restaurant and found their group. He went to his place beside Amber, who barely even acknowledged his presence, and watched across the table with a smile as Edward pulled Isabella immediately to his side once they'd both sat back down.

His two friends were very lucky indeed.

"Love, is everything okay?" Edward asked, the worry evident in his voice.

Isabella took a drink of the warm machiatto that Edward had ordered for her and nodded her head immediately. "Yes, sweetheart, I'm fine. I promise. Alec told me something that caught me off-guard and I lost my temper for a minute. It's nothing, really," she told him reassuringly.

"So I don't get to kick his ass for upsetting you? Damn," he said with a chuckle.

"Maybe next time," Isabella answered him with a soft laugh and then looked around the table. She got startled when she looked to her left and Esme was sitting beside her. Edward had whisked her to the table and she was so concentrated on assuring him she was fine she never even noticed anyone else.

"Esme, hi," Isabella said fondly and then leaned over to give her a hug.

Esme patted her daughter-in-law on the back and then ran her hand down her arm before she said, "Hello, dear. I'm sorry I surprised you."

Isabella giggled and rolled her eyes. "Well, Edward didn't give me a chance to notice anyone else, so I'm sorry, too. How are you? Did you enjoy the performance?" Isabella asked.

"Oh, yes, very much so. The performance was spectacular. Edward should be very proud to support such amazing work," Esme answered back with a pleased tone of voice.

"I told him the same thing, along with everyone else," Isabella answered her back.

"Are you two talking about me?" Edward asked with a lopsided grin when he leaned around his wife. He took an extra moment or two to look at her just to make sure she was okay. He was dying to find out what Alec had said to her to get her so angry so quickly, but she appeared fine so he was somewhat appeased.

Isabella laid her hand on the side of his face and kissed the other cheek and smiled indulgently at him. "Of course we are, sweetheart. Now, stop being so nosy and let me visit with your mother."

Seth had been watching Edward and Isabella ever since Edward had finished talking with Anna. Not only did he want to be close by in case Isabella had gotten upset with Edward, though he didn't think that would happen, he also wanted to see Edward's reaction to the final act. He laughed to himself; he knew Edward was going to have questions aplenty for him once they were able spend some time talking.

In all matter-of-fact, he knew there was much to be discussed. Not only did they have to talk about his discussion with Anna and what had happened while he watched the final act, there was also the matter of CP as well. Seth was well aware that his young friend had not really grasped some of the legal aspects of what would happen to the company if he were no longer able to run it. Neither Carlisle nor Emmett wanted to be in charge; Jasper was an excellent attorney but businessman he was not, and Alec and Marcus, though brilliant in their own rights and more than capable of taking over, lacked one very important thing; they weren't Cullens.

That left only one person, and the angel knew, because he knew Edward better than anyone, it would not be easy for Edward to come to terms with that fact. It wasn't as though Edward would feel Isabella was incapable, though she was certainly inexperienced, it was more having to face the harsh reality of what his dying meant in terms of the more concrete things. Edward was a young man in the literal sense and as was common among driven, accomplished, powerful men, he felt as if he was invincible. He'd said as much all those weeks ago on the plane and Seth needed to get him to concentrate on the fact that his time was limited. He owed it to Isabella, his family, and his friends and employees to ensure that Cullen Publishing would go on, even if he wasn't there to run it.

Edward may have only been in charge for the past six or so years, but CP had been a part of his life for almost twenty years and it was his duty to make sure it would prosper long after he was gone. Seth admitted silently to himself that Isabella's declarations at dinner had really shocked him. His two humans were getting extremely adept at doing that on a regular basis and that unnerved him more than he wanted to say. It made anticipating what their reactions were going to be rather difficult to say the least.

Seth decided it was time to make his presence known, especially because an unwanted interruption was about to take place. Going back to what he'd just thought, there was no telling how this would play out; Edward and Isabella had a funny way of acting in ways he least expected. In this case, it could be very, very bad or very, very good.

Just as Edward had started to wonder when his personal pain in his ass would show up, he looked up and lo and behold there he was.

"You didn't miss me did you, Eddie?" Seth asked with a shit-eating grin.

Edward snorted. "Not hardly," he answered, though he had a smile on his face. "Any particular reason you're here, or did you just come to stare at my wife?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the cheeky angel immediately responded. "Seriously though, how are you holding up?"

Seth liked to give Edward shit, no doubt about it, but he was first and foremost responsible for making sure Edward kept moving forward and Seth never lost sight of that fact. He couldn't afford to for one, and Gideon wouldn't allow it either.

Edward looked around the table and saw all of his friends and family, with exception of the Swans, and realized how incredibly lucky he was, how lucky he'd always been really. The people that surrounded him had always been by his side, even when his head was buried far up his ass and he again felt that same regret for all the time he'd wasted.

The angel sighed as he watched Edward's shoulders slump ever so slightly and he knew full well where Edward's mind went. No matter how happy Edward was, how many wrongs he corrected, there would always be that agonizing reality that he'd lost a great deal of time hiding when he could have been living instead of merely existing.

Edward heard the patient sigh and looked up at Seth. "I know, I know. There isn't anything I can do about the past, I can only go forward. It doesn't make accepting that any easier, though, you know? I'm incredibly blessed; I know I am, but it doesn't mean I can't mourn for the time I lost with Isabella and my family and friends," Edward said sadly.

"Edward Anthony," the angel said in a voice that immediately soothed Edward's troubled heart. "Of course you can grieve for the time you missed loving your wife fully and being embraced by your family, but you can't let that stop you from continuing the progress you've made. Look what you did for Anna tonight, my friend. Absolutely amazed me, I have to say, and you know I'm not easily impressed. I'd be willing to bet, and because I'm never wrong you should believe what I'm saying, that our Anna Davenport will be a changed woman from now on. An Isabella she'll never be, but I guarantee she'll be happier and more content going forward. You did that for her, Edward, not because I told you to or because your lovely wife did either, but because it was the right and good thing to do." Seth moved so he was beside Edward and laid his hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward was, once again, flooded with a sense of peace and comfort and was filled with the belief that all would be okay. He didn't know how or why, he just knew.

"You're a changed man, Edward Anthony Cullen. You spend your time thinking about others first instead of yourself. Every action, every thought you have revolves around Isabella and how to make her happy, because that makes you happy. You ask for my help, and the help of the others, for her, for your family and your friends, but not for yourself. You helped Anna when it would have been just as easy to turn your back on her and not bothered. You are a good man, Edward, a great one even. Be proud of who you are," Seth finished in as loving a voice as Edward had ever heard.

Edward swallowed and had to clear his throat a few times before he was able to speak. "Thank you," he managed to say even though there was still a large lump he had to get rid of in his throat.

The all-seeing angel chuckled and tried to decide whether he should warn his charge of the impending events he had no doubt were about to unfold. Deciding he'd much rather watch things as they happened, he said nothing. Eh, Gideon would most likely give him a stern talking to, albeit with a gleam in his eye, but Seth would take it willingly. He couldn't let Edward think he was getting soft, now could he?

"Enjoy the rest of your night." Seth chuckled devilishly. "I'll be around if you need me," and then disappeared.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered and narrowed his eyes when he registered the tone of voice he'd used. _There was no telling what that meant_ , Edward thought with a groan.

There really were times he'd like to wring the being's neck.

Everyone laughed and visited until Edward noticed Isabella yawning. "Beautiful, you've had a long day, are you ready to go home?" he asked her. He placed a finger beneath her chin and turned her face toward his. He bent his head down and brushed his lips across hers for a kiss that was full of love and want.

It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough to stoke an already smoldering fire of lust. He moved his lips from her mouth to her ear and whispered very softly, "As much as I've loved seeing you in this dress, I can't wait to see you without it, wearing only diamonds and those sexy as hell shoes." His voice had turned rough and needy and his nostrils flared as they stared at one another.

Isabella gasped and then licked her lips, shifting in her chair. Her stomach immediately fluttered, her heart started racing, and her panties were most definitely damp after hearing him whisper in that tone of voice. She'd had her fill of sweet drinks, sweet desserts and her even sweeter husband; she wanted hot and spicy and she wanted it now.

She glanced quickly around the table to make sure no one was watching them and leaned forward, taking care to purposely graze her fingers across the front of his pants. "My gorgeous, sexy husband," she whispered in his ear and then flicked her tongue at his earlobe. "I can guarantee if you take me home right now..." she breathed out at took the bit of sensitive flesh between her teeth and bit gently. "I most definitely will let you take this beautiful dress off me, but only if I get to undress you. I promise I'll take my time, and I might even, maybe..." she teased as she licked the side of his neck, "have to touch you, everywhere, as I go. Sometimes I just can't help myself; you wouldn't mind that, would you, sweetheart?"

"Fuck... Isabella," Edward groaned quietly and picked her hand up from where her fingers were driving him mad. "The only question I have for you, my love, is how fast can you walk in those shoes?" he asked with a grin and a crooked eyebrow.

He quickly paid their check which caused the others at the table to do the same. It really was late and it had been a long, emotionally draining day. However, with the promise of a naked and from all appearances very willing Isabella, any thoughts of sleep were far, far away.

The group made their way out the door and were saying goodbye when a voice sneered, "Well, isn't this sweet?"

Edward whipped his head around and was face to face with the very pompous-looking Vincent Sinclair surrounded as usual by his gaggle of yes-men.

"Sinclair," Edward said levelly.

Anyone who knew Edward at all would have been able to hear the animosity that bubbled beneath the surface calm. Isabella damn sure heard it and stepped up beside Edward and slid her hand in his. They were a team and there was no way she was letting Edward face Vincent without her by his side.

Vincent had been tempted to continue on into the restaurant without saying anything else, but seeing Isabella stand side by side with Edward really fucking pissed him off. _Fucking Cullen_ , he seethed with barely repressed rage as he stared at the duo. Bitterness and jealousy boiled and all Vincent could see was red.

"You know, Cullen," Vincent began in an oily voice, "for all the talk around town about how great a businessman you are, it was really fucking easy to take Deaton-Hall right out from under your damn nose." He scoffed and looked back at the group behind him and shook his head, making a tsking sound with his tongue. "You must be getting really fucking desperate if you're letting Emmett and Isabella, of all people, head up a project." He stared at Isabella, his beady eyes cold and calculating and licked his lips. "You know, Isabella, if you want to play with the big boys, you'd better be prepared to get your hands dirty, not that I wouldn't mind getting dirty with you," he said with a wink.

Edward growled in the back of his throat and squeezed his hands so tightly he lost feeling in them. He only let go when he felt Isabella tug on his hand. He glanced down at her and instead of finding the calm, reassuring look he was sure he would find, he found that her face was a picture of fury and her eyes were murderous. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but she shook her head quickly one time and he halted what he was about to ask her. He took one more second to reassure himself that she was okay and then turned to face the son of a bitch.

"You...asshole," Edward said in a venomous voice.

He could barely see he was so fucking angry and if Isabella hadn't been hanging onto him, he might very well have ripped him limb from limb and then happily set him on fire, watching as he disintegrated into nothingness. The world would definitely not miss the likes of one Vincent Sinclair and Edward would have no qualms being the one to take care of him. None at all.

Edward was aware that Emmett had stepped up beside him, opposite of Isabella and that Jasper, Alec, and Marcus had closed ranks as well. He watched as Rose stood beside Isabella in a sign of support and he couldn't see them but he knew his parents were behind him as well. All ready to stand by his side and if he would have been able to, he would have taken the time to thank each and every one of them. There was no way in hell he was taking his eyes off Vincent, however.

Vincent fumed as he watched Edward be surrounded by his friends and family. Why the fuck did he deserve their loyalty? Why was it that no matter what he did, he couldn't ever outsmart or outmaneuver him? Why, even when he thought he'd finally beaten Edward at something, it felt like he'd lost more than he'd gained?

Isabella was fighting a battle within herself. She was normally a very rational woman except where Edward was concerned. That was evident by the way she went off on Alec just a little bit ago, but that was nothing compared to what she felt right at this moment. She prided herself on being a forgiving, compassionate person but she found none of that present now. Instead, she wanted to make Vincent pay for every hurtful thing he'd ever thought or said to, or about, Edward.

She'd go to Mass and ask for forgiveness...later.

As much as Edward wanted to beat the ever-living shit out of Vincent, he held back, choosing to be the better, bigger man. "It's really funny, Vincent, how you always manage to be one step behind me. No matter how many little spies you send our way or how many pathetic attempts you make to be better than me at anything, you always fail. At prep school, during college, when we graduated and started our jobs, you were always trying to play catch-up and you still haven't been able to do it yet. Face the facts, Sinclair, even when you lie, cheat, and steal, you still can't come close to touching me. Never have, never will," Edward finished smugly and with a tone of condescension. Oh, on the inside he was seething and wanted nothing more than to rip the fucker's head off, but he'd never give Vince the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to him.

Shaking off the hands that tried to restrain him, Vincent took a few steps toward Edward and tried to get right in his face. He felt a hand on his arm and he snapped his head to the right. Anna had reached out to try to stop Vince from making an even bigger ass out of himself than he already had. She'd heard enough, way more than enough, and felt like she needed to do something. Obviously no one else was and Vincent really needed to take a step back before he did or said something he would regret. Even someone as cool and controlled as Edward had his limits and then to purposely antagonize him by insulting Isabella, well, Anna was shocked Vincent was still standing.

"What the fuck?" Vincent hissed. "Let me go, Anna, now," he ordered.

Anna shook her head and said, "Vince, knock it off. This has gone too far."

Vincent narrowed his eyes and the look he gave her caused goosebumps to break out all over her skin. "Yeah? What the fuck do you know? You just stand there, keep your mouth fucking shut and look good; it's all your good for anyway."

Isabella felt her blood boil when she saw Anna shrink back from Vincent's vitriol. _How fucking dare he_ , she thought angrily. No one, especially a woman, deserved to be talked to in such a degrading manner, not even Anna. She'd had enough and was going to put a stop to his tirade...now.

"Isabella," Edward said urgently when he felt her step forward.

"Edward, please let me go," she told him and the tone of her voice left him no room to disagree.

He released her hand and though Isabella missed the feel of his hand the instant he let her go, she straightened her shoulders and looked Vincent straight in the eye.

"Enough," she said harshly.

She was vaguely aware of Emmett and Edward arguing behind her, and couldn't help but smile quickly when she heard Edward tell her brother-in-law not to worry. However, the smile faded as quickly as it came; she had a snake to take care of.

"Oh, really? And, just what do you think you're going to do about it?" Vincent taunted.

Isabella heard the snickers from the men and women that stood around Vincent and instead of letting that intimidate her, it steeled her resolve to deal with him once and for all.

She scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not going to do anything, Vincent, except go home with my husband and family, spend an enjoyable day tomorrow resting and relaxing and then getting up bright and early on Monday to go to work, so we can plan on how to make sure Cullen Publishing keeps its rightful spot as the number one publishing company in the country," she told him in a calm but no-nonsense manner.

"Is that right?" Vincent mocked.

"Yes, that's right," Isabella answered back succinctly. "Perhaps if you spent your time worrying about your own company instead of focusing so much on what Edward is doing you might find it more productive. Mind you, you'd still never catch up, but you'd sure as hell have a more successful business that way."

"What the hell do you know about running a business? You're nothing more than a glorified spell checker. Nicer to look at than a computer, I'll give you that much, but that's about it," Vincent said condescendingly.

"Why you..." she heard Edward hiss under his breath and she turned quickly around and held up a hand to stop him from saying anything else.

So far Vincent hadn't said anything that surprised her, nor was she finished speaking her mind either. It would take a hell of a lot more than a few snarky words and lecherous looks to stop her now.

"You're right, I don't know very much about running a business, but I know enough to know that Edward does it the way it's supposed to done. He treats it as more than a job; he actually cares about what he's doing. I don't know any of them," she said as she pointed to the men that stood beside Vincent. "I would hope that like Edward you've surrounded yourself by people you can trust to look after not only you, but the business as a whole, though, judging from some of the underhanded things you've done, I highly doubt it."

Vincent jeered at her and then cackled. "You're something else, I'll give you that. Where the hell do you get off telling me how to run my business? In case you haven't paid any attention, you're husband hasn't exactly won any employer of the year awards. Not to mention, at least I'm not pretending to have had some near-death experience and then using that to make myself look good. I mean, come the fuck on, could he be any more pathetic?"

That...did it.

Up until that point, Isabella had been content to exchange a few words just so Vincent was aware of the fact that she knew he was an asshole and he didn't scare her, but go after Edward and all bets were off. He wanted to play dirty? By the time she was done with him, there wouldn't even be enough left to bury.

"Chi cazzo fa questo buco di culo crede di essere?" _(Who the fuck does this asshole think he is?)_

She stared at Vincent, her brown eyes almost black and was angrier than she had ever been in her life. If her eyes could have melted him, they would have she looked at him with such rage and fury. "Don't you ever, fucking ever," she rasped in a steel hard voice, "make the mistake of thinking you know anything about Edward. You know nothing about him or me and as is evident by your total lack of respect for Anna and your supposed friends, nothing about how to act like a decent human being either."

She took another step forward and was vaguely aware of the low grumbles of anger behind her from Edward and the others. She would deal with them as soon as she was finished with Vincent.

"You told me if I wanted to play with the big boys to get ready to get my hands dirty, well let me tell you one thing, Mr. Sinclair," she breathed out in a fiery voice. "Be careful what you wish for. Come after Edward, my family, or my friends, and I promise you, it will be the last mistake you ever make. After all these years, no matter what you've tried, you haven't succeeded in getting the best of Cullen Publishing, and I can damn well guarantee it's not going to happen now. By the time we're through with you, you won't know which end is up. You want to play, I'll play, but don't come crying to me when you are the one that ends up on the losing end."

When she finished speaking, not one person made a sound or said one word. Everyone was shell-shocked, stunned completely speechless, but no one more so than Edward.

Isabella took one long, deep, tension-relieving breath and then turned around to look at her husband, with a radiant and very self-satisfied smile on her face.

"Edward, I believe we have plans at home we need to get to. I'm ready to go now," she said.

Edward nodded at her and then pulled her beside him. He narrowed his eyes at Vincent and said, "If you ever so much as look at my wife again, never mind speak to her like that, I...will...end...you, and I'm not talking about your company."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Soooo? How do you all feel about that turn of events? Lots of things happening in this chapter. Some eye opening revelations by Carlisle, Edward having an out-of-body experience, Alec and Isabella...how cute were they? And, lastly, Edward and Isabella both getting their turn to give Vincent a piece of their minds. Told you Vincent would not get the same treatment as Anna.**

***Oh, and I've taken some liberties with the Opera and the performance schedule, so just go with it, okay? Artistic license, you know?**

**Next chapter...let me just warn you now. It is one long, continuous lemon...seriously...and nothing else. As it stands now, it's about 15 pages! I'll be doing an outtake so you can see everyone's reactions to Isabella's handling of Vincent so don't worry, but next chapter, is going to be something else. From there...we're moving into the hard stuff, so be ready to strap in. It's going to get bumpy.**

**Teaser will be on Fictionators tomorrow, and the TGG blog, so be sure to check it out...and a warning...even the teaser is NSFW! Seriously! Be sure to sign up for email alerts and to be a follower, so you'll get announcements when things are happening. Don't forget to check out the discussion board, too. I wanted to try something new, so tomorrow night, Monday the 7th we'll be having an open discussion on the discussion board at 8pm central time. If you have any questions you've been dying to ask or any comments you'd like to make, bring them all and I'll answer as best I can. Just look for the thread titled "Questions for Erin, March 7th" and I'll be there! I hope to see lots of you there as well. If we can get this to work, I'll try to make this a regular thing. There have been some really great questions, so please check them out and ask me whatever you want to know!**

**www(.)les16(.)proboards(.)com**

**I have submitted an outtake from the honeymoon for the Fandoms4Floods fundraiser. The link will be on the blog. Donations will began being accepted on March 1st and you will get a compilation of works from some of the best authors in the fandom. It's for a great cause so I hope you'll consider donating. If you have any questions, feel free to email, PM or find me on Twitter!**

**How are you enjoying the bonus scenes? With this chapter's extra I am going to be sending you what happens when Anna and Vincent get home...how about that? So...if you want to see it, you're going to have to review! I'm still feeling generous so if you want to see the extra scenes...send me an email...from yours, and I'll reply back. les_sh_16(.)yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh, and for those of you who have been retweeting my Chapter updates and such, thank you so much! That means a lot and I hope you'll keep it up!**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one made me nervous!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

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**Thanks to all of you, The Greatest Gift has made it to the Second Round in the Inspired FanFic Awards. Voting for the 2nd round has started and goes until the 14th. If you would, I'd love it so much if you voted for me again! There are so many great stories out there, so check out the lists and take a few minutes and vote. Be sure to look for my friends, eternally addicted, rtgirl, AydenMorgen, prettykittyartist, sherryola, and justginger while you're at it, too!**

**inspiredfanficawards(.)blogspot(.)com/**

***~*~LEMON ALERT~*~* Seriously folks...that's all I'm saying!**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 20**

Edward stared at his wife, awestruck and without a fucking doubt more turned on than he had ever been previously.

"Edward?" she questioned.

He nodded dumbly, not able to string together the words that were racing through his mind enough to speak coherently. He quickly wondered if Isabella would object to being thrown over his shoulder so he could run back to the penthouse, much like a Neanderthal taking his mate back to the cave.

The quiet murmurings behind him barely even penetrated his thoughts because every single one he had was concentrated solely on his amazing and very sexy wife. He was quite positive he was going to have to ask for confirmation of what he'd just witnessed but...later. Much, much...much later.

"Sweetheart, are we going?" Isabella asked with a light laugh.

He shook his head to clear it of the fog he was in and then gave her a sexy grin. "Hell yeah," he answered back in a silky, smooth voice and without even glancing back to his friends or family, he grabbed Isabella's hand and walked a few feet away. Edward gathered her in his arms and pulled her against him. "You were fucking magnificent," he whispered in a rough voice and then proceeded to kiss the shit out of her right there on the sidewalk for all to see.

His tongue plunged forcefully in her mouth and one hand slid around her neck while the other was pressed firmly on her lower back. Their mouths were fused together and mimicked the actions the rest of their bodies were begging for. In and out he dipped his tongue, once, twice, a third time until Edward heard Emmett mutter, "God damn that's hot," which immediately stilled his actions.

"I would say I'm sorry for that, but I'm so far from sorry it's not even in the same zip code," Edward said with a chuckle.

He looked into her eyes and they were full of excitement, desire, and he hoped a bit of naughtiness, too. When she very intentionally lowered her hand and brushed the back of her fingers against him, he knew that the sooner they made it home, the better.

"Take me home, Edward. I believe we have plans that involve being naked as soon as humanly possible," she whispered seductively.

"Oh, fuck," he rasped.

"Leaving already, Edward?" Emmett taunted and neither Edward nor Isabella looked back at him. Instead Edward draped one arm over his wife's shoulders and with his free hand flipped off Emmett and all the rest of the idiots that were currently snickering behind his back.

As soon as Edward and Isabella turned back toward the theater and were out of sight, Emmett let out a booming laugh that caused everyone not in their party to turn and look in their direction.

"What the hell was that?" he asked no one in particular.

Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "That, my friend, was fucking priceless is what it was. Holy shit our little Isabella is a firecracker!"

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

The ride back to the penthouse was blessedly short thanks to the late hour. Edward was extremely grateful because as anxious to get his wife naked as he was, if there had been a delay of any sort, well, he wouldn't have been able to be held accountable for his actions.

He pulled his car into his assigned parking space and cut the engine. The silence in the car was deafening and was filled with a crackling intensity. Heavy breathing from both of them only added another layer to the already overwhelming desire they both were feeling.

"Come here," he told her as he turned and leaned over the console. "I can't wait until we get upstairs to kiss you again."

"Then don't," she answered back and crashed her lips against his.

Teeth clanked against each other's, tongues tangled as they frantically tried to allay the building need through their kiss. It didn't work; it only served to heighten what was already so much Edward was surprised the car didn't shake from it all.

"Damn it, Isabella, if I'm not inside of you soon, I swear to Christ I'll go insane," he whispered before he bit down on her bottom lip.

She felt her nipples harden beneath her silky dress and with no shame whatsoever rubbed them against his chest smiling with pleasure when she heard him mutter, "Fuck," on a heavy breath.

He pulled back just enough to order, "Out, Isabella. Now."

Normally he wouldn't even think about letting her get out of the car without his assistance but in this case, even taking the time to walk around the car was way too fucking long.

They both scrambled out of the car and when she met him on the way to the elevator and heard the beep of the car alarm, there wasn't anything she wanted more than to have him naked and inside of her.

As soon as the elevator door opened, he pushed her inside and up against the wall. He somehow managed to get his key for the penthouse out of his pocket and into the slot, all the while keeping his body firmly pressed against hers.

"Do you have any fucking idea what I want to do to you when I get you upstairs?" he breathed against her neck. "I can't decide whether to make love to you in our bed or..." he lowered his voice and licked around the shell of her ear, "fuck you, hard, against the wall, or hell even the dining room table and then make love to you. What do you think, Beautiful?"

"Edward, oh...shit," she heard herself say before she could even stop herself.

The image of him towering over her while she was spread out on the dining room table filled her mind and damn if she didn't want that, badly. But first, she had other plans for him.

She maneuvered her hands and lifted his head up so she could look at him. "I think, my husband," she said in breathy voice, "that while both of those sound like exactly what I want, I do believe," she went on and lowered one hand between them and covered his already very hard length with her hand. "You promised me I could undress you and touch you, everywhere," she whispered again and wrapped her fingers around him. Even though his boxers and pants were between him and her hand, she could feel him pulsate in her grasp as he pressed himself harder against her fingers.

Edward's mind was quickly spiraling out of control and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from ripping her gorgeous dress off her body right then and there. There was no chance of anyone stopping the elevator, but there were cameras and there was no fucking way in hell anyone got to see the magnificence that was his wife except him, not if they wanted to live to see another day.

"Only if I get to do the same to you, my love. I'm a very competitive man, you should know that by now. No fucking way I'm letting you have all the fun," he told her with a dark laugh.

Just as he was about to commence with showing her all the places he planned on touching her, the elevator stopped at their floor. When the doors opened, he swept her up into his arms and walked into the penthouse. He let her down and stood her in the middle of the living room.

"Don't move," he told her briskly before walking to the stereo and turning it on. He found a jazz station with a heavy beat that matched the mood that filled the penthouse perfectly. It was the kind of music that evoked feelings of want, of lust, of need that was raw and primal.

She stood and watched as he turned off the lights, leaving the soft glow from the small lamp on the sofa table as the only light to mix with the silvery beams from the full moon outside. He moved silently in the shadows through the penthouse, and with each step he took she found that her heart pounded harder in her chest and her need for him grew. The bass of the music seemed to reverberate throughout the air making it seem like a bubble had encased them, as if there was no one or nothing that existed outside of the two of them.

She took a deep breath when he finally turned his gaze back on her and when he stopped moving and stared hungrily at her, she could almost feel her dress fall from her body, leaving her naked and ready for him.

"Edward," she practically panted as he continued to stare at her.

"Shhh," he answered back immediately and then proceeded to close the gap between them.

He walked around her using every bit of restraint he possessed and just looked at her. His body was screaming for her, begging to take her, but he resisted, Lord only knew how. He wanted her with an intensity that quite frankly should have scared him, but it didn't. He knew he could never hurt her and though he wanted to rip her clothes off, throw her down on the ground and fuck her into oblivion, he wouldn't. He was going to take his time, savor every brush of his fingertips against her skin, relish every swipe of his tongue along her body, draw out the infinite pleasure of moving in and out of her until they were both careening headfirst into an ocean of ecstasy.

"All night, Isabella," he said softly as he walked around her. "I've wanted to be alone with you. Hours ago, when you first walked out of our room, I wanted to take you then. Walking into the Graham Room with you beside me, knowing every set of eyes was on you, made my heart race because you were there, with me." He dropped his voice and stepped beside her. Lowering his lips, he pressed a quick, open-mouthed kiss to her bare shoulder. "Then, when I didn't think I could possibly want you any more, you shock the hell out of me with your declarations about me and CP. If I could have gotten away with it, I would have taken you right then on the table, but there is no fucking way I'm sharing you with anyone...because you...are...mine," he said using a tone voice she'd never heard before.

It was forceful, passionate, and dripping with so much desire, she shivered as he stood next to her.

"Ah, my girl seems to like the thought of being thrown down on the table and fucked senseless. I'll have to keep that in mind...for later," he whispered in a gravelly voice as he trailed just a fingertip down her arm.

"To continue, though," he began after standing in front of her once more. "Of course, you bewitched everyone you met tonight, completely wrapped them around your sweet little finger." He reached down and picked up her hand, lifting the aforementioned finger to his lips. He stuck his tongue out and curled it around the tip and then sucked it into his mouth where he massaged the pad of her index finger with his tongue before releasing it. He got extremely hard when his eyes bore into hers and he could see how much she wanted him, how much his words were affecting her, but he wasn't done yet.

Not even close.

"And then what did you do?" he questioned with a shake of his head. "You surprise me yet again with your complete and total faith in me by not even blinking an eye when you saw me talking to someone from my past."

He could have said Anna's name, but he wasn't allowing anyone to intrude on what was happening between the two of them.

Stepping behind her he aligned his body perfectly with hers and let her feel him fully against her. He lowered his head and ran his nose along her exposed shoulder and then up her neck. "You amaze me more and more every damn day, Isabella. I wake up every morning thinking you can't outdo yourself, and every day you prove me wrong." His lips found the delicate skin behind her ear and he gently bit into the spot letting the taste of her coat his tongue.

It was getting extremely hard and painful to keep himself in check, but as much as he wanted to let them both give in to what they each wanted, he wasn't ready, not yet anyway.

He did raise his hand up and pull the zipper on her dress down and sucked in a sharp, almost painful breath when the skin of her back appeared sans bra and he could only see the thin strip of material of the thong she had on.

"Holy fuck," he hissed and placed his hand, spread wide against the smooth expanse of her back. Her skin felt like warm silk beneath his fingers and it took a few very deep breaths to keep from lowering his hand and feeling just how little those panties covered up.

Regaining what little composure he had left, he reluctantly removed his hand and bent his head down, making a path with his tongue from the small of her back up to the back of her neck. He heard her breathing get heavier and he could faintly smell her arousal float from between her legs.

"Edward, please," he heard her beg and he almost gave in.

Almost.

"You don't need to beg, Beautiful. You know I want you as badly as you want me and I promise, you can take as much time driving me crazy as I have you but..." he said and waited until she looked at him, "when you do, I want you naked." With a speed that shocked both of them, he pushed the dress off her shoulders and watched, mesmerized as it fell into a shimmery, silver pool at her feet.

She looked down at the floor and then back up at him, feeling not the least bit embarrassed about standing before him in only diamonds, a thong that barely covered anything, and heels. In fact, she felt empowered, fierce, desired.

She made a move to go to him but he quickly stopped her. "Not yet, love. It seems to me I said I wanted you naked." He stepped forward and cupped her sex, feeling her heat seep through her barely there and quite wet panties.

Her breath caught in her throat when his fingers grazed her clit. Her stomach clenched, as well as other places and she licked her lips as she stared at him.

"Oh, Isabella," Edward said gruffly between taking deep breaths. "So wet for me already and because they're already ruined, I'm sure you won't mind..." he hissed as the sound of tearing fabric mixed with the pounding bass of the jazz music playing on the stereo. "You weren't particularly fond of those, were you? As fucking mouthwatering as you looked in them, I do have to say you look a hell of a lot better without them."

He couldn't stop himself when he brought her forward so he could kiss her again. His mouth completely covered hers as he devoured her. "You are so fucking beautiful," he whispered roughly when he bent his head down and took a hard nipple into his mouth. He nibbled on the pebbled flesh before he flicked it with his tongue. "I think you should always look like this, naked and draped in diamonds; what do you think about that, Isabella?"

His fingers teased her clit and slid through her slick folds until he pressed two fingers deep inside of her.

"Edward, oh God," she cried as she reached out and grabbed his shoulders. His words had already driven her crazy and now his fingers were pushing her past that and all the way to downright gone.

"Come, Beautiful," he commanded immediately when he felt her squeeze his fingers deep inside her.

She closed her eyes as the orgasm built. Her stomach clenched; the muscles in her legs tensed; her fingers dug into his shoulders. "Open your eyes, love, and look at me," she heard him whisper in a smooth, hypnotic tone. "Come," he said once more.

Isabella felt the powerful orgasm build and then she let go when she felt him press down on her swollen clit with his thumb. She let it wash over her and threw her head back and rode his fingers as wave after wave rolled through her body.

Edward had seen her come before, many times in all matter-of-fact, but it had never affected him the way it did this time. Watching her fall apart, hearing her cries of pleasure as his fingers continued their sweet torture had him almost wild with unbridled need. She was his and his alone and that thought made him growl lowly in the back of this throat.

He knew the admiration and respect she garnered from the others like Jasper and Alec; he knew about the love Emmett and Rose felt for her; hell, he even knew about the lewd and envious thoughts Vincent and others had for her, but there was not one other fucking person on earth that would ever know her like he did. No one would ever know the way she bit her bottom lip when she had an orgasm, the way her chest flushed when they made love, even the way her toes curled when her legs were wrapped around him.

Isabella finally felt herself calm down, though her body still shook from the aftershocks. When Edward withdrew his fingers and held her gaze when he licked them clean, she finally decided it was her turn to take the lead.

"You know, Edward, I do believe that I promised you that I would undress you and because..." she said in a sultry voice, "I'm naked as you wished, it's time for you to be naked, too."

Stepping forward on rubbery legs, she pressed her body close to his and then reached out and pushed his jacket off his shoulders. She wasted no time unbuttoning his vest and loosening his tie.

"Shoes, off, now," she ordered while pulling his tie over his head.

When he was just down to his shirt and pants, she took a few steps back and stared at him. _Damn, he was so fucking sexy,_ she thought. She licked her lips and rolled her eyes at him when she heard the rumble in his chest. "Oh no you don't, my husband. You had your fun, now it's my turn to play," she teased.

She swayed her hips seductively as she walked to stand in front of him and gave herself a silent fist bump when she saw him swallow and take a deep breath. "You know, it's almost a shame to undress you. There isn't anyone that looks better in a tuxedo than you," she said conversationally as she began unbuttoning his shirt.

Purposely letting her fingers graze his skin as she undressed him, she couldn't help but let out a soft moan of pleasure when she pulled his shirt off, leaving him bare from the waist up.

She licked her lips again and tilted her head to the side as she looked him up and down. "No, I do believe I'd still rather have you with no clothes on."

Taking a cue from him, she took a few steps to walk around him. The muscles of his back flexed when she ran her fingers lightly over them and began to speak softly as she stepped behind him. Because she still had her shoes on, she was the perfect height to be able to kiss along the broad expanse of his shoulders. It was a treat she certainly couldn't resist.

Edward hissed the instant her lips touched him and his skin felt like it was on fire. When her tiny hands pressed on his chest as she wrapped her arms around him and her hard nipples rubbed against his back, he hung his head. Christ she felt so good against him, perfect and naked and fitting against him like she was always meant to be there. Her lips were soft and warm and when he felt her breath when she licked along his shoulders, he felt his dick get painfully hard.

"I love your shoulders," she whispered out of nowhere. "They always remind me of just how damn strong you are, how much you carry day in and day out. You don't always have to do it alone, Edward, and I hope, I think, you're finally beginning to realize that." She didn't say the words in rebuke, but only to serve as a reminder that she was always there, always by his side and always ready to help him in any way she could.

She pressed her entire body against his and placed a wet, open-mouthed kiss in the center of his shoulders before she moved to stand in front of him once more. Her fingers danced lightly from back to front and then walked a path from his chest, down over his tight stomach and through the fine hair that dipped below his pants. When she looked into his eyes and noticed they'd turned almost black, she shivered.

Oh yeah, she was going as crazy as he was, but playing was so much fun that she couldn't stop, even if she wanted to, and well, she didn't.

Not yet anyway.

"These hands, though," she said as she linked her fingers with his and then lifted them up. She held them both to her lips and laid soft kisses over each knuckle. "These hands I think are my favorite things about you. Oh, I love your eyes; I adore your smile, especially when you give me my smile. Your hair drives me and every other woman at CP nuts, but these hands are most definitely my favorite." She turned them over and trailed her tongue along the inside of his wrist and then over his palm, never once taking her eyes off his, not that she could. His eyes were trained so intensely on hers she swore that even though they were bathed in shadows and moonbeams, she could see each individual eyelash, see each speck of gold that mixed with the green. She moved her tongue to his index finger and then wrapped her lips around it, sucking it fully into her mouth. Her tongue curled and licked and she could see his heart beat wildly in his chest. "These hands," she said in a husky whisper when she released it with a pop, "know exactly how to hold me. Know when I need to be held tight or when I want gentle caresses. These fingers know how to play my body like the world's finest instrument and bring me so much pleasure they should be illegal."

She lowered their hands and then placed his alone on her hips. "Be good," she told him with a grin and then slowly undid his belt and then the button and zipper of his pants. She pushed them and his boxers down and watched as they fell over his hips and down his legs. She felt his fingers curl around her hipbones and felt his thumbs make small circles on the sensitive skin there. Her pussy began to throb and she could feel moisture drip down the inside of her thigh but she made no move to wipe it off. Instead she took a step backward and out of his grasp and stared at him, standing tall and proud, and deliciously hard.

Speaking of delicious, she took the few steps needed to stand in front of him once more. As promised, she was going to touch him everywhere. She used a featherlight touch and ghosted her fingertips over every bit of his body starting with the top.

"I can't tell you, my love, how wonderful it is to see the lines that always used to be on your forehead gone now. You're much too handsome to have a scowl on your face all the time," she whispered as her fingers made a path from his forehead down along the sides of his jaw.

Using just her index finger, she followed the outline of his lips of his mouth, which he made easy to do because he was breathing so heavily, he was practically panting. She leaned forward and brushed a soft, gentle kiss across them, telling him, "I love you," in a voice that was barely more than a breath it was so soft.

"Isabella, love," he said roughly but she shook her head at him.

"I know, Edward, but I'm not done yet. I told you I'd touch you everywhere and I never go back on my word," she answered his plea and then proceeded to run her hands down over his shoulders and then laid them on his chest. His heart was pounding wildly beneath her right hand and with her left, she moved her fingers back and forth over his distended nipple. She grinned when his eyes rolled back in his head and he growled, but she didn't stop. Lowering her head, she flicked at it with her tongue before scraping her teeth across it. She felt his erection press firmly against her stomach and even felt the drop of moisture that leaked from the tip, but she didn't stop. She moved from the left to the right, not wanting to leave one nipple less appreciated than the other. When she bit into it, she heard him utter, "Oh, fuck," between clenched teeth.

Her fingers had a mind of their own when they aimlessly moved over his abs, through the fine hair between his belly button and down below. Without even looking to see, they somehow found the indentions on each side, the ones that formed that mouthwatering 'v' between his hips. She lowered her body and let her tongue follow the path of her fingers, alternating between licks, sucks and gentle nibbles. Her hands wound their way to his ass and she squeezed and kneaded the muscular flesh as her mouth continued its descent.

Edward curled his fingers into tight fists and pressed them hard into his thighs when he looked down and saw his wife on her knees before him. "Shit...oh, Isabella...you," he stammered when he felt her nose press against the base of his incredibly and almost painfully hard dick and felt her tongue when she sucked on the hyper-sensitive skin that surrounded it. He tilted his head backward and tightly squeezed his eyes shut.

"Yes, Edward, I am," she said against his skin. When her mouth moved to lick up the side of him, he held his breath and let it out on a long exhale when he felt her close her lips around the tip of his cock.

"Jesus," he managed to choke out.

Somehow he was able to pull himself together enough to look down once more, though when he did, he almost came just from the sight of her. There she was, on her knees with him fully in her mouth and her hands on his ass, holding him still. He tried so hard to stop himself, but he couldn't and his hands slid into her hair and pressed on the back of her head. It took all he had not to twist her hair around his fingers and help her move up and down, though the pace she set was driving him fucking wild. He gritted his teeth when he felt her tongue curl around him and uttered a fierce, "Holy shit" when her teeth scraped up the length of him.

"Mmmm, Edward, you taste so good," she told him as she stared in his eyes and flicked her tongue at the tip of him.

"Beautiful, please," he begged pitifully. "I need to be inside of you, right fucking now."

He hoped she understood how fucking serious he was because he honestly felt that if he wasn't inside of her soon, feeling her surround him as he drove into her over and over again, he would fucking explode. The whole night had been one long extended session of foreplay, hell the whole day even. Everything that had happened to him over the past few weeks had seemed to culminate with watching his incredible wife stand up to Vincent and defend not only him, but _their_ company and _their_ family and friends. Everything he'd realized, everything he'd worked toward, everything he felt for her had been building until this moment right here and he wanted her with a ferocity that was seriously threatening to overtake him. He would never hurt her, not physically, but he wanted to fuck her until he couldn't see straight, until he was unable to go on, until she screamed so much she couldn't make another sound.

Isabella heard the warning in his voice and she knew she'd teased and played with him all she could. Not that she wasn't ready to have him buried deep inside of her and taking her to limits only he knew how to reach. She leaned back on her knees and placed a soft kiss to his tip before she gracefully stood up. She smirked and then eyed the chair behind him. She sauntered forward and then pushed back on his chest and whispered, "Stop," before she moved the chair around and placed it so that it faced the fireplace. When she was riding him, which she had every intention of doing, she wanted them both to be able to watch.

"Sit," she ordered.

Edward did as he was told and fell in the chair and his jaw practically hit the floor when his wife climbed on top of him. She straddled his thighs and rubbed her chest against his and when he felt her tiny hands slide into his hair and twist he groaned loudly.

"Oh, fuck, Beautiful," he breathed out and then pulled her firmly against him as he plunged his tongue forcefully into her mouth. Their breathing was heavy and their heads tilted and turned, lips crushed against lips, noses rubbed against the other, and he could feel her slick and hot against him.

"Isabella, damn it," he ground out as he gripped her hips and tried to move her where his body was screaming for her to be.

He was pulled out of his blinding lust when he felt her push on his chest. Just when he was about to protest, vehemently, to her moving, she shocked the shit out of him when she turned around and then slid over him in one fluid movement.

"Oh my fucking God," he rasped when she sunk down on him, her back sliding down his chest. He was sure, one hundred fucking percent sure, he'd never been buried so deep inside of her and he damn well knew it hadn't ever felt so fucking good, not ever.

He adjusted himself on the chair and sat up higher and reached around and cupped both of her breasts in his hands. Taking her nipples between his fingers, he rolled the hardened flesh between them, tweaking and pulling, pinching and twisting until he heard her groan. "Feels good, doesn't it?" he asked in a rough voice.

"Edward...yes," she panted as she rocked back and forth on him.

She reached down and dug her nails into the firm muscles of his legs, feeling the coarse hair between her fingers.

"I bet this will feel even better," he whispered and then slid one hand down her stomach until he covered her pussy with his hand, making sure to rub her clit with his thumb. "You're so fucking wet, Isabella," he told her. "Spread your legs wider," he ordered after a moment in a voice rough with need. When she did as he asked, he began stroking her, timing his fingers perfectly with his cock as she moved up and down on him.

He picked his head up from where he'd currently been sucking on the thin skin of her neck and felt himself grow even harder when he saw their reflection in the fireplace.

"Fuck, Beautiful, look at us," he said and waited until her eyes found his in the reflection.

"Oh...God..." she said between breaths.

"Just fucking look at you," he whispered as he watched his fingers stroke her while he pushed his cock deeper inside of her. "Legs spread wide, pussy glistening in the moonlight, your chest flushed pink, my dick moving in you. I've never in my damn life seen anything hotter."

She increased her rhythm as his words filled the air around them. Leaning back, her body stretched out for him, seemingly of its own will. Her body was his to touch and to possess, to ravage and control. Whatever he wanted, she'd gladly give over and over again, until she could give no more.

Normally he would tell her to watch, but in this case, he was too spellbound by the way she was responding to him to even mutter the words. She'd flung her head back and he could feel her hair draped over his shoulder and the back of the chair. Her neck was extended as she laid back on his shoulder and he could see her pulse pound rapidly. He watched as his hand covered her breast, the dark tone of his skin contrasting with her pale, creamy white skin. He could feel himself move inside of her as he continued to work her into a frenzy.

"Kiss me," he demanded gruffly and then captured her lips for a bruising kiss.

Her body never stopped moving, his fingers never stopped either as his tongue twisted and swirled with hers. "Come, baby. I want to feel you come on my cock," he said into her mouth.

"Edward...oh...yes," she said and to her own ears she couldn't tell whether it was a plea or an answer.

She lowered her hand between her legs and covered his hand with her own, and felt the moist heat coat her skin. Their entwined fingers slid over her clit and then teased at her entrance where he was still moving in and out with each rock of her body and each thrust of his hips. "Come, Isabella," he told her again when he had to take a breath.

Her fingers increased their pace as did her up and down motion. The sounds of skin sliding and slapping against skin, of their heavy breathing, of the music in the background that only seemed to charge the atmosphere surrounding them filled the air and settled like a heavy fog. The chair creaked and cracked with each buck of his legs and she arched her back even more against his chest. Edward looked toward the fireplace again, almost losing it completely as he watched her body mold and writhe against him, as he watched her fingers dip between her legs and circle her clit furiously, trying to propel her body toward the orgasm he wanted, needed.

"Holy...oh fucking...Jesus," he breathed incoherently as the image he saw in the reflection embedded itself in his brain. There was no way he would ever forget what he'd just seen, ever. It was every wet dream, every fantasy, every porn movie amplified to infinity.

"Baby, come...please...I need to feel it...I want it," he whispered huskily in her ear as he felt her pussy squeeze him tightly.

She opened her mouth to answer him, but her voice was caught in her throat. She wrapped her right arm around his head and held on for all she had. She finally opened her eyes and held his gaze. His eyes burned, seared straight to her soul and then to her pussy and she rode him hard and fast. Her fingers flew over her clit, and she could feel his shaft against the tips of them.

"That's it, Beautiful...give it to me...come...now..." he hissed and held on to her hip with his free hand as she completely fell apart above him. Her body convulsed and undulated as she rode out her orgasm; her cries were a mixture of a whimper and a shriek and went on and on and on as her body continued to quiver above him.

Isabella barely had time to catch her breath before he slipped out of her and shifted her body on his lap. Seamlessly he stood up and cradled her in his arms and then walked toward the dining room table. He kicked a chair out of the way, neither one paying any attention to it skittering across the floor before he lowered her to the top of the table.

As soon as she felt the cold wood against the sweat-drenched skin of her back she let out a gasp of surprise but that was followed immediately by a moan of pleasure when she felt Edward's tongue on her swollen pussy.

"Edward, oh my God, yes," she cried out shamelessly when he sucked her clit into his mouth.

She thrashed her head back and forth across the table, making it a tangled mess, but she didn't care. All she could think about was the way his tongue felt as it flicked over and over against her clit; the way it felt when he flattened his tongue and licked her from back to front; the way it felt when she felt his teeth scrape lightly against her sensitive flesh.

Edward was like a man possessed. As much as he wanted to be inside of his wife again, driving into her over and over again, he couldn't stop teasing her with his mouth. She tasted like fucking heaven because he sure as hell knew there wasn't a flavor on earth that he could use to describe it. He devoured her like a man dying of thirst, one that couldn't be quenched, continuously licking and sucking and nibbling. The taste of her coated his tongue and throat, the flavors of the two of them mixing in an erotic blend that nothing could ever match.

"You're close again, Beautiful, I can tell," he whispered as he peppered the insides of her thighs with kisses.

He lifted his head from between her legs and looked at her spread out on the table, completely and totally at his mercy. Her hair was fanned out beneath her head in a riotous mess; her chest heaved as she breathed in and out, and her eyes, Lord help him her eyes were almost black with a hunger for him, so intense he could feel it. Her body practically vibrated with it and he could damn well feel it because she was dripping wet and he most certainly could fucking smell it.

"Ah, my insatiable, greedy girl," he crooned as he slithered up her body, leaving a trail of gentle love bites as he made his way to her ear. "You still want more, do you?" he questioned, but he needed no answer. His fingers lingered between her legs and she made it so easy for him when she spread them even wider.

"Edward, please, I want to come," she begged as she tried to rub against his fingers, craving the friction he withheld from her as he continued his sweet torture.

"Begging...mmmm, you know, there is something quite...erotic," he said in a gravelly voice as he breathed in her ear, "about hearing you beg for me. Such a turn-on," he taunted. "Ask me again, Isabella, and maybe I'll let you."

He lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth, sucking so hard his cheeks hollowed. His fingers lightly touched her, barely grazing her clit and he heard her hiss in frustration.

"Say it. You know you want to beg me. It's just one word...one tiny, little...word."

Isabella was spiraling out of control and when he pressed his lips to hers and stroked her tongue with his, she was pushed to her limit. "You can taste yourself, can't you? How we taste together?" he asked as he dipped his tongue again.

She nodded and moaned wantonly and couldn't have stopped the plea she uttered no matter how hard she tried, and really, she didn't try at all.

"Please."

"Ah, that's my good girl," he said silkily and the proceeded to lower his head again and set about giving her what she wanted.

With his fingers and tongue he gave her what she begged for and with each cry of pleasure and each buck of her hips against him, his need for her grew and grew. When her hands twisted in his hair and she bowed her back, he was sure he'd never craved anything as much he did watching and feeling and tasting her as she fell apart over and over and over again.

Isabella was almost out of her mind as she climaxed again and again. Each flick of his tongue, each curl of his fingers inside of her, each gust of warm breath over her tingling core caused tentacles of ecstasy to wind their way through her body and keep her in a suspended state of almost mind-numbing bliss.

"Edward...God...oh, Edward," she cried out again and again.

"Yes, Beautiful. Mmmmm, you're so fucking magnificent when you come, baby," he rasped giving her one final long lick with his tongue before standing up.

His eyes were wild, his hair even more so from where her fingers had pulled and tugged and he could feel the moisture on his face cool from the draft of the central air. He licked his lips and then reached out and hooked his hands beneath her knees and yanked her forcefully to the edge of the table. She easily slid across the surface and when her ass dipped off the edge, he drove into her with one swift motion.

"Fuck...oh fucking hell that feels good," he panted as he savored finally being inside of her.

He stood still, feeling her walls flutter and ripple around him. She had laid her arms out across the table top and gripped the edge so tightly he could hear her nails scratch against the wood. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily in and out and her legs tensed in his arms when he still didn't move.

"Edward, damn it," she said through gritted teeth and then she tried to grind herself against him.

"Stop," he ordered. "Do you have any idea how fucking close I am to climbing on that table and fucking you until it breaks beneath us?"

She didn't really see the problem with that.

At. All.

Edward shook his head and tried to clear it from the crazed fog he was in. With the way he was feeling, the way his body was shaking with his need for her, he was afraid if he didn't get control of himself he wouldn't be able to stop once he started moving inside of her.

"Edward," he heard her say in a tone that was part need and part worry and it was enough to calm the frenzy in his mind, just barely, but at least he didn't feel like a wild animal that had finally escaped from his cage.

He began to move inside of her and though with each stroke he felt himself teetering closer and closer on the edge of losing it completely, he held himself in check. It wasn't easy and with every thrust of his hips, he needed her more and more.

"Isabella, oh, God," he said between heavy breaths. "Do you have any fucking idea how good you feel? So damn wet, so hot and tight," he hissed as his pace increased. "Your pussy is just pulsating around me; I've never felt anything like it," he went on in an astonished voice.

He really had never experienced anything like what he was feeling. Her body was one quivering mass of flesh and he couldn't get enough. When his fingers dug into the thin skin that covered her hip bones, her back arched off the table like she'd been shocked. When he moved his left hand and laid it flat over her pubic bone she let out a moan that sounded like it came from another world. When he slid his hand up her body and covered her breast and then pinched her nipple, she stretched her neck and thrashed her head like she was in pain, but he knew she wasn't. Ecstasy had taken them to an almost different plane, one where their bodies were so in tune with the other's that he wasn't sure they would ever come down.

"Fuck me, Edward...oh God please...just...fuck...me!" she cried out to him, staring him straight in the eyes.

"Isabella...shit...like that?" he grunted and asked as his rhythm increased.

He drove into her and watched with blazing eyes as her body moved back and forth on the table. The table creaked with each thrust; the table legs bumping against the floor as they raised then crashed back to the ground. The chairs that he hadn't kicked out of the way fell over one at a time.

"Unh...oh...yes...yes!" Isabella shrieked and gripped the edges of the table even tighter. He could see her arms shake with the force she used as she held on and he increased his pace even more.

She lifted her hips off the table and he slammed her ass into it each and every time as he mindlessly fucked her.

"Come, God damn it! Now...baby...oh fuck, please come fucking now," he yelled out as he held on to her hips and dug his fingers into her ass.

"So close...so close," she cried out and squeezed him tightly inside of her.

Edward's arms burned, his legs ached, but still he drove on. His jaw hurt from gritting his teeth so hard and his cock throbbed against her walls. He'd never been so deep inside of her, but he wanted more.

"Beautiful, let me feel you come on my cock. Do it...give it to me," he panted.

"Edward...Edddwwaarrrdddd!" she screamed as she came in a blinding, mind-numbing wave that completely overwhelmed her and she felt like she floated away only to come crashing back to Earth as she felt him explode in a burst that lifted her from the table.

He growled and threw his head back, the muscles of his neck strained and stretched as he called out her name. "Isabella!"

The force he came with took his breath away and literally blinded him for a moment when all he saw was a flash of white.

"Oh, God, oh, God," she continued to chant over and over as the aftershocks continued to rock her body.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay," he said in a much gentler tone of voice and reached down to lift her up to hold her next to him.

He was still inside of her and he could feel her heart pound wildly in her chest, though he was sure his was beating just as fast. "I love you, love you so fucking much," he whispered as he peppered her face and the top of her head with kisses. Their bodies were slick with sweat and the evidence of their lovemaking and her hair stuck to her cheek and his chest where he held her tight against him.

Isabella could feel the tears eke from her eyes as she clung to him, afraid to let go. Her body continued to shake and she could hear the soft whimpers she tried to keep inside. She heard him murmur against her head but she couldn't understand what he was saying because her mind was so full of what had just happened.

"I love you," she finally managed to say on a stuttering breath, hiccuping as she tried to gain some semblance of control of her body.

"Oh, Beautiful, I love you, too," he told her again.

"That was," she said and then shook her head at a total loss for words to describe what just happened.

"Yeah, it was," he said with a chuckle.

He slipped out of her and then smirked when she pouted. He pushed her hair back over her shoulder before lowering his head and whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, my love, we already have to buy a new table and chairs, so we might as well make the most of it. I've fucked you properly, now let me make love to you."

With that, he climbed on the table and pulled her with him.

It was going to be a very, very long night indeed.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**SO? Do I even need to ask? I do hope you understand what I was trying to show with this chapter though. Like I said, I don't write lemons just for the sake of writing them, and this one was no different. Edward and Isabella both needed an outlet for all the intense emotions the entire weekend had brought out and this was the culmination of that. I do hope to have the outtake of everyone's reactions ready for you all by Friday, so keep a look out!**

**With that being said, we're moving forward next and things are going to be bumpy for a bit. Really bumpy if the reactions of the pre-readers are any indication. We've been building toward these coming chapters from the beginning, so strap in and get ready. Keep the faith and remember my promise of a HEA, okay?**

**If you didn't know, I've written a O/S for the Let the Games Begin contest. The link is on my profile! I'd love for you to read it and let me know what you think, but fair warning...it's Edward/Jasper slash. I've never written anything like it and wanted to push my boundaries outside of my comfort zone just to see if I could do it. Voting begins on the 15th, so if you choose to read, you can vote starting that day!**

**Fandoms4Floods is still accepting donations and for only $5 you will receive not one, but two compilations of stories from some fabulous authors. Original works, stories from other fandoms, outtakes, and one/shots are all included. If you need any information PM, email, or find me on Twitter. My submission was an outtake from the honeymoon, so if you read it, I'd love to know what you thought of it!**

**I know there was a lack of Seth this chapter, for obvious reasons, but I'm making that up to you with the bonus scene from this week. It will be all Seth and Gideon for this one, they have a lot to talk about, I can promise you that, so if you want to read it, review and I'll send you the bonus scene on Wednesday. I am pretty sure you all loved last weeks with Anna and Vincent, yes? If you need any of the prior bonus scenes, just email me at les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh, and for those of you who have been retweeting my Chapter updates and such, thank you so much! That means a lot and I hope you'll keep it up!**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one made me nervous!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**A HUGE thank you to ysar at the Twilight Awards for the beautiful and amazing banner she made for The Greatest Gift. I was totally blown away and love it so much! Everyone be sure to look at the blog and check it out!**

**Don't forget to read the outtake that I posted on Friday that leads up to this. In conjunction with the bonus scene sent out on Wednesday, you should have a better understanding of the direction this chapter takes. Be sure to let me know what you think of the outtake, too, okay?**

**Now, is everyone ready? Tissues...I've been told...need to be at the ready, so grab them and let's go shall we?**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 21**

"Edward," the otherworldly being said in a very stern voice.

"No," Edward answered back without even looking up from his computer.

The angel floated closer to the desk and let his eyes blaze as he stared at his willful charge. "Edward Anthony," he tried again in an even harsher voice.

Edward slammed his hand on the desk and raised his head, his eyes blazing just as brightly. "No!" he said even louder than the first time.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," Seth bellowed and Edward quickly stood up and leaned across his desk, not intimidated in the least.

"I. Said. No!" he said in a cold, hard voice.

Seth stared at Edward, hoping to make him see reason. He'd never, in all his years as an angel, ever, encountered anyone as bullheaded and exasperating as Edward.

Edward held the being's gaze, not backing down. There was no way he was doing what Seth had asked him to do. He wouldn't, couldn't.

"You think I'm scared of you?" Edward taunted and then smirked when he noticed the angel's normally calm demeanor crack.

He was playing with fire, but he didn't give a shit. Well, that was a lie if he'd ever heard one, but there was no way in hell he was admitting that to the pain in the ass creature standing in front of him.

"Edward, I swear," Seth finally spoke when he realized that pushing right now was getting nowhere.

Edward sat back down in his chair, suddenly exhausted. He and the annoying angel person had been going round and round this topic for days now and he had yet to budge an inch. It made him irritable and quick-tempered and from the strange looks he'd gotten from everyone from Donna to Jasper to Isabella, he knew they'd all about had enough.

Still, he wasn't about to give in and do what Seth asked of him.

"You have to do it sooner or later, Edward, and you know sooner is the only option you have at this time. As much as you want to try to fight it, you're only delaying the inevitable," Seth said in a much gentler voice.

Seth rolled his eyes heavenward hoping to find the patience he needed. He'd known all along that this particular discussion was going to be hard, but he'd never expected this much resistance from Edward. Damn human was still surprising him left and right, though he surely could have done without this particular roadblock.

Edward grunted when Seth gave him the same speech he'd given him time and time again already, though this time he hated to admit it hit its mark more directly than any of the others. The angel was wearing him down, but he'd be damned if he would ever let Seth know that.

"Am I going to die today?" Edward demanded abruptly.

"I don't know," Seth said and noted with pleasure when Edward blanched at that vague statement.

He was tired of playing this foolhardy game with his young charge. Edward was teetering very closely toward undoing everything he'd managed to accomplish and there was no way Seth was letting that happen. His stubborn friend would find out just how much he was unwilling if he wasn't careful. After more than a hundred and fifty years, Seth had encountered more than his fair share of obstinate humans, but none as stubborn as the man across from him.

Edward sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He still wasn't about to give in, at least not right at the moment. He was smart enough to realize that what Seth wanted needed to be done, but he just wasn't ready yet. Hell, he'd never be ready, but certainly not now.

There was a knock on the door and Edward looked up and smiled when his gorgeous wife walked into his office. He immediately felt better seeing her but it was short-lived when he noticed that her smile wasn't as bright and loving as it normally was. _Fuck_ , he thought. He knew he'd been acting more like the old Edward lately but he didn't realize how much it had affected her until he saw her halfhearted smile.

"Hi, Beautiful," he said softly, hoping it would put a smile back on her face, and ease his conscience.

His stomach sank when it didn't. In fact the endearment seemed to cause her to frown.

_Damn he was such an ass._

"Hello," she said quietly in a voice laced with hurt, sadness, and anger, too, he noticed with a heavy heart.

"Isabella, I," he started to say but was interrupted when the others walked into the office for their daily status meeting.

Ignoring the urge to tell everyone to get the hell out of his office so he could try and talk to her, he got the meeting underway. He studiously ignored the pointed looks the ever-present angel gave him throughout the meeting. He damn sure ignored the snort he heard when he snapped at Jasper as well as the huff when he cut off Emmett in the middle of a sentence. When he interrupted Isabella as she was trying to explain something, the growl the angel let loose shook the windows and Edward was extremely grateful he was the only one that heard it. There was no telling what the others would have thought had they heard it as well.

Edward glanced at the very thunderous-looking face of Seth and hissed, "Don't even say it."

"Your funeral," the angel said succinctly, not even trying to temper his emotions in the least.

The hole Edward was digging for himself was getting deeper and deeper and he knew it. It didn't mean he was going to stop being so damn stubborn though because that would be too fucking easy. No, he was just going to keep right on ignoring the angel and the fact his mind was screaming at him to knock it the hell off.

He was obviously a fucking idiot.

The meeting ended and everyone seemed on edge, a fact which Edward recognized with a great amount of guilt.

"Edward, man," Jasper said with a shake of his head when he caught his eye.

Edward held up a hand and said, "Not now, Jasper."

Jasper sighed as he saw his best friend's shoulders sag. He had been worried all week as he watched Edward revert back to his old habits. He'd tried to talk to him, only to be shut out completely. Apparently, he was sad to say when he looked at Isabella, he wasn't the only one.

He walked closer to Edward and leaned in next to his ear. "I don't know what the hell has gotten into you the past few days, but if you don't pull your head out of your ass and talk to me, Emmett, or Isabella, I'll pull it out myself and it won't feel fucking good. Knock it the fuck off, Edward, and stop shutting all of us out."

It had been some time since Jasper had talked to him in that deadly calm voice and Edward had forgotten how damn menacing he could sound. "Jas," Edward said quietly.

"I don't want to hear it, Edward. Talk to her. Just keep in mind, if she doesn't have a smile on her face the next time I see her instead of the heartbroken look she has now, I'm kicking your damn ass," Jasper said then walked off before he said something he would regret.

"Bella, darlin', come find me tomorrow and we'll go over the new contracts we're giving the featured authors," Jasper told her as he approached.

She tried to smile at him, but it didn't look much at all like one. "Sounds good, Jasper," she answered him.

His fingers turned into a tight fist and he shot Edward a withering glance before he wrapped his arms around her for a hug. "It'll be okay, darlin'. I'm here if you need me, okay?" he reminded her quietly.

He was Edward's best friend, but in this case, Edward was on his own. Until he knew what the hell was causing Edward to act like a damn fool, he was firmly on Isabella's side.

"Thank you," she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Jasper patted her on the back and kissed the top of her head before striding out of the office, but not before hissing, "Fix it, Edward. Now," when he walked past.

Edward hung his head when he noticed the others doing pretty much the same thing. Rallying the troops so to speak and judging by the way they all left without saying one word to him, he was most definitely the enemy.

When he picked his head up, the office was empty, save for his wife. She was standing with her back to him and looking out the windows. He assumed anyway, because he couldn't see her face.

"I don't know what has been going on with you the past few days, but I'm not going back to the way things were before, Edward. I put up with it for five damn years, and I refuse to do it again," she said in an even voice that was laced with so much hurt it brought tears to his eyes.

"Love...I," he tried to say but the words caught in his throat when she whipped her head around and looked at him.

She shook her head. "No, Edward. I don't want to hear an excuse and I damn sure don't want to hear an apology. The only words I want to hear out of your mouth is an explanation of what has bothered you so badly this week you've been snapping at everyone, even me, and keeping yourself holed up in your office here and at home. I thought we were past this," she said sadly.

Christ, he felt like the world's biggest asshole; a moniker he'd gladly accept now after hearing how hurt and sad she sounded.

"Isabella," he tried again and waited until she looked at him. The brown eyes that always shined with so much love for him now were clouded with anxiety and fear and it completely wrecked him. "Fuck," he muttered scathingly, though only at himself.

He stepped forward, intending to reach out and take her hand but she stepped backward and that almost brought him to his knees.

"I've given you plenty of time to come to me to tell me what has been bothering you and you've just pulled farther and farther away. I can't make you talk to me, Edward, but I certainly think after all you've put me through, I deserve it," she said as she swallowed a sob.

She walked past him and toward the door and he called out, "Wait, where are you going? Will I see you at home?"

He was frantic, thinking if she walked out the door he'd never see her again. _Totally irrational_ a part of his brain was yelling at him, but the fact that his heart was racing and he felt sick to his stomach seemed to agree with his irrationality.

She kept her hand on the doorknob and he watched her take a deep breath, though she didn't turn around to look at him. "I'll be home...later," she said evasively then walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.

He stood, unable to move and stared at the heavy wood door as if somehow just by willing her to, she would walk back in. When minutes passed by and she didn't come back, he leaned on his desk, hanging his head and cursing himself to hell and back.

"Oh, God, what the hell have I done?" he cried out in pain between heaving breaths.

Seth floated and then stopped in front of Edward. Shaking his head he said, "The list is too long to even tell you, Edward Anthony. Come on, stand up straight."

Edward picked his head up and looked at him, thankful that his voice was at least somewhat gentle. It still sounded like waves crashing against rocks in the middle of a thunderstorm but he wasn't growling any longer. He would take what he could get.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Isabella leaned her head back against the door once it was shut and took a long stuttering breath, and tried to keep from turning around and going back into his office.

She pinched her eyes closed, feeling the burn of her tears leaking from the corners. Quickly, she picked her head up and made sure no one noticed her lose her composure. That would be all she and Edward needed. Her stomach clenched when she thought about him and how devastated he'd looked when she said she was leaving, but no matter how badly she wanted to comfort him, she couldn't.

She was mad and hurt and confused and she needed some time away from him.

Standing up straighter and purposely not looking in Donna's direction, she walked to her office, gathered her things, and headed toward the parking garage. By the time she sat behind the wheel of her car, her shoulders hurt from the tension she refused to let go of and her head was pounding due to the effort to keep herself from breaking down. She pulled out of her parking space and turned in the direction of the one place she knew she needed to go.

Driving quickly through downtown Chicago, she kept it together. When she got stuck in traffic for a few minutes and sappy song after sappy song came on the radio, she stayed strong, flicking the offensive music off with a flick of her thumb against the button. Even when some idiot cut her off and barely missed clipping the front of her car, she resisted the urge to let go. It wasn't until the traffic had thinned out and she reached for her phone at a stop light that the torrent of tears finally came. There on the screen was a text message from Edward that said:

_**I'm so sorry, Beautiful. For everything. I love you, please come home to me. Always, E~** _

The words were sweet and in all honesty exactly what she needed to hear, but she wasn't giving in to the relief she wanted to feel. No, she was mad and she was hurt and she was not going to let him off the hook that easily. _She was fucking tired_ , she angrily thought as she swiped at her eyes to brush the tears away. Tired of always giving and being so patient. Tired of loving him so much that she overlooked his many flaws. Tired of always forgiving him for every damn thing he'd ever done wrong.

She drove and refused to think about him, knowing as soon as she arrived at her destination she'd have to spend plenty of time doing just that. Driving down the familiar road she could feel some of the tension leaving her shoulders and she took a deep breath when she pulled the car to a stop. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Nonna in the front yard pruning the roses to get them ready for the fall.

"Isabella," Gianna called warmly to her granddaughter. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that Isabella had been crying and took off her gloves and set down her pruning shears.

She waited for Isabella to reach her and then said, "Perfect timing, dear. I was just finishing up. I'm in the mood for biscotti and you can help roll out the dough."

They walked into Charlie and Renée's house. As much as Isabella loved her parents, she was very relieved that today was their normal date night and wouldn't be home for a few hours. She needed her Nonna and her sage advice, not her mother's, even though it was always offered with the best of intentions.

"I have a feeling this is going to take awhile. Why don't you see if there are some clothes in your old room and change?" Gianna told Isabella with a knowing smile.

Isabella nodded and went to do as her grandmother asked while Gianna went to the kitchen. She filled the teapot with water and set it on the stove to boil; there was nothing better than a soothing cup of chamomile tea in her opinion and from the red-rimmed eyes, red-tipped nose, and splotchy cheeks on her granddaughter, she was sure Isabella needed it.

"Oh, Edward," she said quietly, "what have you done now?"

She had no doubt that whatever caused the tears had something to do with Edward. Isabella was never one to cry, she never had been, so she knew that whatever was going on had been building for quite some time. She got busy pulling ingredients and mixing bowls and cups out and set them on the island.

Isabella sighed when she walked back in the kitchen, though she felt better already. She'd changed into an old pair of soccer shorts and a t-shirt from college. She'd pulled her hair up in a ponytail and washed her face hoping to get rid of a bit of telltale redness, though she knew her Nonna had already noticed. She noticed everything.

Neither woman spoke for some time. Gianna was letting Isabella work through what she wanted to tell her and would patiently wait until she was ready. She enjoyed the silence and the comfort that working in the kitchen with her granddaughter brought. They didn't do it enough anymore and she missed the quiet times they used to spend, just the two of them. Isabella on the other hand was grateful for the time to just lose herself in the motion of rolling the dough while she worked side by side with Nonna. She knew she wanted to talk to her, but for the time being, she was satisfied with saying nothing at all.

They finished up the prep work and then began slicing the loaves of biscotti. Once that was done, Gianna looked at Isabella and said, "Time for tea, then you can tell me what has you so upset. Get the teacups and saucers and I'll fix us a snack."

Isabella smiled at Nonna and did what she was told. She grabbed the dishes and set them on the table and sat, waiting to begin their talk. She realized she probably should have done this a while ago, especially because she'd had a number of things that had been bothering her for some time. She sighed; she and Edward were quite the pair sometimes, no question about it.

Once the tea had been poured, Gianna wasted no time. "What's going on, Isabella? It's not like you to get so upset. I know it has something to do with your Edward so why don't you start at the beginning and tell me everything," she said.

Isabella took a small sip of her tea and tried to decide where to start, then began. "Nonna, I don't know where to start. I'm so mad at Edward. He's been acting strange all week and he won't talk to me. In the meeting today he snapped at both Jasper and Emmett and then he and Jasper had words when it was over. I've tried to talk to him and he won't tell me what's been bothering him. I don't..." she said and took a deep breath. "I can't take it if he changes back to the way he used to be. I love him, so much...but...I just...can't."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

While Isabella was driving to go see her Nonna, Seth was busy trying not to kick Edward's ass from Chicago all the way to kingdom come.

"Edward, come on; we're leaving for the day. You've already pissed everyone off anyway, no use staying around and wallowing," Seth said when Edward was finally standing up straight.

Edward could only nod at the bossy seraph and grabbed his cell phone off his desk. He typed out a quick message to Isabella, even though he had no idea if she would even read it. With how angry and hurt she was when she left, he was afraid if she did read it, it wouldn't be anytime soon.

Seth managed to get Edward out of the office and instead of getting in the car with Peter, they walked. He turned them in the direction of Grant Park and they walked in silence for a time. The angel was annoyed with his charge, of that there was no doubt, but he was as much, if not more, annoyed with himself. He had made many mistakes thus far where Edward was concerned and the actions today were as much his fault as Edward's.

Oh, how he hated to admit that, but it was true nonetheless.

They continued to walk, each lost in their own thoughts until finally they reached a bench and sat down. Seth noted with a loud sigh the way Edward slumped as he sat but still said nothing for a time. He watched the water and the rainbows reflecting in the mist. Normally it would be a sight that brought him peace, but there wasn't much of that to be found today he was afraid.

"Edward Anthony," Seth began gently, "I have failed you."

Edward heard the words but did nothing to acknowledge them. He didn't necessarily believe the angel, but he wasn't about to try to ease the guilt he heard in Seth's voice either.

"I have been with you almost your whole life, Edward, and because of that I know you better than anyone, better probably even than you know yourself. I understand what makes you tick, what causes you pain, and what causes you to pull away and hide like you have these past few days. I knew the conversation I wanted you to have with Isabella would be difficult for you, maybe even just as hard as talking to her about your parents, and I should have done more to prepare you. I've been guilty of being caught up in your happiness, which means more to me than anything, but it has also made me extremely lax when it comes to preparing you for what else you must face and do in the time you have left. There are things you deserve to know and things I should have talked to you about well before now and I haven't. For that, I am truly sorry," Seth told him honestly.

Edward sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He looked around at all the people walking around the park. He wondered, briefly, if everyone had a "Seth" to watch over them, but then let the thought go. There was too much other stuff he needed to think about.

"For what it's worth, I know you were only trying to make me do something that should have been done a long time ago with regard to Isabella. It's not your fault I want to bury my head in the sand and pretend none of this happening," Edward grudgingly admitted.

"She'll make a hell of a CEO," Seth told him with a grin.

Edward couldn't help but smile back, remembering with much pleasure the way his amazing wife had handled Vincent the snake. As soon as he'd gotten to the office on Monday following their incredible opera weekend, it seemed like the entire building was buzzing with stories of how well she'd done, how poised and confident she was, and how protective she was not only of him but of the entire company. Everyone loved her before, but once they had heard about what she'd done and said, she'd been elevated to exalted.

The very first meeting of the week, Emmett had made a comment in passing about being glad Isabella was there to take over if anything ever happened to Edward and that started the ball rolling. Jasper, Alec, and Marcus all added their two-cents worth, singing her praises and well, the annoying angel person was practically bursting with pride for her. He, however, was not. Oh, he was so fucking proud of her, not to mention being in awe and just downright turned on, as evidenced by the incredible night they spent making love and well into the next morning, too. It was just that facing the reality that he wouldn't be there to continue running things for much longer had finally, it seemed, really hit home.

Cullen Publishing would go on without him, most likely with Isabella at the helm. Jasper, Emmett, Alec, and Marcus would continue to work side by side with her and he had no doubt the company would continue to grow and be even more successful than it had ever been. Her life would go on without him, and he found himself wondering if she would busy herself with work to hide her grief, or if she would find another way to ease her pain.

Emmett and Rose might mourn his death, but they had two small children that relied on them, so they would have to move on as well. The same went for Jasper and Alice as well as Alec and Marcus, and even for Carlisle and Esme. He'd come a long way, he knew, since the appearance of the being beside him, but he knew he still had so much to make up for. On top of that, realizing that all their lives would go on without him made him sadder than he could express. He'd wasted so much time being angry at his parents and wallowing in his own bitterness and hurt that he'd missed living, really living.

It was a hell of a pill to swallow.

Not to mention dealing with out-of-body experiences which he still didn't have an answer about, knowing that he was going to have to tell Isabella, Carlisle, and Esme about his time in Ireland, and top that off with needing to name Isabella his successor at CP, it had been an overwhelming amount of things to process and handle, and no one knew better than him how badly he'd done all of the above.

He did what he always did; he withdrew. He could blame Seth for not giving him answers he deserved, but like he'd told Jasper in regard to Anna, it was too easy to do that. Seth might have been too caught up in his happiness, but Edward was just as willing to let him if that meant he didn't have to face the real reason for Seth's presence in the first place.

Edward pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned when there was no message from Isabella. He moved to push a button to call her, but was stopped when Seth said, "She's fine, Edward. She's with Nonna. Leave her be for a bit; she needs time to think."

He put his phone away, not even questioning how Seth knew that. He just figured it was more angelic mumbo jumbo. "What if she doesn't come back?" he asked quietly.

Seth let out a big gust of air that blew across the ground. Edward snorted when a very pretty woman who just happened to be walking by had to hold her skirt down with her hand. Seth's eyes twinkled, totally unashamed and he shrugged his shoulders.

The angel really did enjoy pushing Edward's buttons.

"My friend, she can no more leave you than you could her. Just because she's angry with you doesn't mean she's all of a sudden stopped loving you. It's a lesson you would have been well-served to have learned a long time ago, Edward," Seth chided, though it was gently.

"Yeah, well, where in the hell would I have ever learned that?" Edward snapped.

"You make a good point. Obviously Liam and Maggie never learned that lesson. Your father used your mother's blind devotion to him in the worst possible ways. When he said jump, he expected her to jump without question. If he wanted to go out, they went out; if he wanted roast beef and potatoes, that's what was for dinner. If he thought she was focusing too much attention on you, she stopped and focused on him. They were both incredibly selfish people, Edward, but neither you nor Isabella are like them," Seth told him and then took a breath.

"All your life, first with Liam and Maggie, and then with William, you thought that in order to be loved, you had to be perfect. If you only tried harder in school, or made better grades, or learned one more language or read one more book, your parents would suddenly show you the attention you so desperately craved. With William, you thought that if you did as he asked and acted as he wanted, you would finally be accepted and treated as more than an afterthought. Edward, you have always been worthy of love, you've just never been told that enough so that you believe it. Isabella has always known it, but you haven't let her show you, until recently. Believe it or not, Esme, Emmett, and even Carlisle in his own way, have always believed that, too," he said with a shake of his head.

"You're not going to tell me how to fix this whole thing with Carlisle and Esme are you?" Edward asked after he'd spent a few minutes digesting the words the angel had just spoken.

Seth grunted and then flashed Edward a beaming smile. "What do you think, Eddie?" he cheekily asked.

"That's what I was afraid of."

"Look, Edward, I don't want to put any more pressure on you than I have already," the being said and even he had to laugh at the way that sounded.

Honestly, was there anything that could compete with having a limited amount of time left to fix all the mistakes of your past?

Once he'd acknowledged Edward's snort with a grin he continued. "Your whole family's ability to lay the ghosts of the past finally and fully to rest lies with your willingness to forgive Esme and Carlisle for what they did and didn't do. You also must come to terms with the behavior of your parents and forgive them as well. As much as I would love to grant you the peace of mind I know you want by telling you all this can be done, I'm afraid I can't do that, Edward. Only you can decide if you've had enough and are ready to move forward with your family by your side."

"What good, really, is all of that, if I'm not here to enjoy it?" Edward asked pointedly.

Seth looked at him and then looked at the crowd of people in the park. "Edward Anthony, look at that," the angel ordered.

Edward looked in the direction the angel was pointing at and noticed a family of four having a picnic. The little boy and girl couldn't have been any older than Jack and Emma and watching them, even for a moment, made Edward smile. Then he saw an elderly couple that had to be even older than Nonna, walking slowly, but holding hands. His gaze moved from them to a guy and girl that were in their early twenties and were apparently in the middle of a rather heated argument. A group of teenagers passed them and Edward couldn't help but notice how young and happy they looked.

"Life is precious, my friend. Anyone of those people could die by this time tomorrow. They could get in a car accident on their way home from the park; they could get attacked on the L; they could slip and fall and hit their head and never wake up. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, Edward, but even if you only had one day, one day in which you, Isabella, and your family were at peace, wouldn't that be worth everything?"

Edward didn't say anything for the longest time and Seth let him be. The angel knew this was the turning point that everything hinged on. Either Edward would go forward, fully ready to face his past with Isabella by his side and deal with the trauma of his childhood or he would resist and risk not only his peace but that of everyone he loved. It was a choice only Edward could make and no amount of angelic prodding would make a difference.

Humans could be incredibly stubborn when they wanted to be, and none more so than the man beside him.

Edward rubbed his hands back and forth on his thighs and then stood up and said, "I'm ready to go now."

"Yeah?" the angel questioned with a twinkle in his eye. "And, where pray tell are we going, Eddie?"

"Home, to wait for my wife. I owe her a hell of an apology and then it's time to tell her...everything," Edward stated without missing a beat.

He was terrified beyond belief and he knew that there were things he would have to discuss that would be painful for him to say and for her to hear, but he was ready.

One day, one week, one month, one year, it didn't matter how long he had left. However long it was, he owed it to her and to everyone else to grant them the peace and forgiveness that was only his to give.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Isabella drove home, barely registering the fact that it was pitch black outside. When she did finally notice and then looked down at the clock in the car, she sighed, realizing she had been gone for hours and hadn't let Edward know where she was or that she was okay. Then that thought was immediately followed by another one; he hadn't called to check on her, either. Not since the text he'd sent as soon as she left at least. Whereas her first concern had been worrying that he'd be upset because she hadn't called, his obviously was for himself, just like always.

The closer she got to home the madder she got and by the time she pulled into her driveway, all of the calm she'd felt when she'd finished talking to Nonna was nothing but a distant memory. She had been all prepared to calmly ask him once again what had been bothering him knowing that the words Nonna had told her when she kissed her goodbye were nothing but the truth.

"Even when you don't think he's listening, Cari, he hears you. Don't stop talking to him," her Nonna had told her sternly.

She tried to get a hold of her temper by counting, in Italian, in her head. She took a few deep breaths, exhaling out her nose. She clenched her fingers around the steering wheel, hoping that by relieving some of her tension, she wouldn't want to wrap them around her husband's neck and squeeze. She drove up her driveway and into her garage, saying a quick prayer to be granted the strength to say what she needed to say. Hurting Edward wasn't ever something she wanted to do, but really, she'd had all she could take.

With her hand on the doorknob, she squared her shoulders, resolved to talk to Edward, whether he liked it or not.

As soon as Edward heard the garage door open, he raced through the house and waited in the kitchen. He had been so ready to talk to her, to hold her in his arms and apologize and then have her tell him it was all going to be okay. As the night wore on, his readiness morphed to anxiety and then to downright terror that either something had happened to her or...she wasn't coming home at all.

When the door opened and he saw with his own two eyes that she was in one piece at least, he very stupidly said, "I know you're mad at me but the least you could have done was call to let me know you were all right." As soon as he saw her eyes flash, he muttered a very quiet, "fuck" and hung his head.

Isabella felt every ounce of restraint she was using snap and then slammed her keys down on the island. "You really couldn't have possibly just said that to me. I mean, really?"

She turned to him with her hands on her hips and without a doubt the most furious face Edward had ever seen.

Of course being the idiot he was, he couldn't help but stare at her either. She hadn't changed out of her shorts and t-shirt and her hair was still in a ponytail. She only had a pair of old flip-flops at her parents' house and Edward thought she had never looked sexier.

"Isabella, I'm...I..." he stuttered and then took a deep breath to start again but was cut off by her.

"You know, when I was on my way home from Dad and Mama's I realized how long I'd been gone. My first thought had been that I felt badly that you had probably been worried, but do you want to know what was the second?" she asked and Edward was at least smart enough this time not to say anything. "I realized that you hadn't called me either; the only message you sent was right after I left the office. Yeah, you apologized, but you were still more concerned about yourself than you were for me."

"Love, no," he shook his head and stepped forward. When she stepped backward, he hung his head and sighed.

"Oh, no you fucking don't, Edward," she snapped and he picked his head up and looked at her. "You do NOT get to stand there feeling sorry for yourself because for once I called you out on your shit."

"What?" he croaked.

He had never, in all the time they'd been together, ever seen her as angry and upset as she was right then and he didn't know what the hell to do.

"Do you have any idea how many nights, how many times, I would sit by the phone when you were out of town on a business trip, just hoping you would call to let me know you had made it safely or, God forbid, on the off-chance you called to say good night? Do you know how many times I check the weather, obsessively, when I know you'll be traveling home? Do you know how many sleepless nights I've spent praying for you, thinking about you, hoping that when you got home, somehow everything would be different? Do you know," she said on a sob, "how many times I slept in your bed when you were gone because it was the only way I could feel close to you?"

He wanted to walk to her and take her in his arms and hold her because she looked so fucking fragile. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole for treating her so abominably for such a long damn time. He wanted to beg the angel, who he knew was watching, for more time to try to make up for all the pain and suffering he'd caused her over the years.

He just wanted to make everything right because she deserved no less than always being blissfully happy.

Isabella watched him swallow and saw his eyes darken with the anguish she knew he was feeling but she wasn't done yet. As much as she wanted to comfort him, she couldn't, at least not until she'd said everything she'd held in for so long.

"I've held my tongue, Edward, for the past month or so even though I have had so much I've wanted to say to you, ask you. I suppose that's my fault, but I don't even fucking know anymore," she raged at him. "All this time, for more than five years, I've loved you, with all my heart and you've stomped on it, ignored it, and taken it for granted. Every day I've spent with you, as your wife, hoping day after day after miserable day that somehow, something would spark a change in you and when you do finally change, after five damn years no less, all I get is some song and dance about a bumpy, scary plane ride? What the hell is up with that? The past month and a half has been amazing, but where the hell were you five years ago? Four, three, six months ago? You think you can just erase all of that with some flowers, a friendship bracelet, and some diamonds?" she went on and swiped at the tears that poured down her face.

"Why did it take you so long to love me the way I wanted all along? Why wasn't I enough for you right from the beginning? Why did you even marry me if all you wanted was to hide away from everyone and everything?" She knew she was being cruel and she could feel his pain at her words from across the room, but she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Isabella, oh God, I do love you! I've always loved you!" Edward cried out, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

Everything he'd ever feared was coming to fruition right before his eyes and he didn't know how to make her see, to make her believe he'd always loved her. He thought she'd known but it was obvious that she'd been hurting far worse than he'd ever realized.

She stubbornly shook her head, even though she knew he had, she was just too hurt, too tired, and too angry to admit it just yet. "How can I believe that, Edward? People that love someone don't go days without talking to each other, don't eat separately, and I damn sure know they don't sleep in separate bedrooms," she said and knew she'd hit her mark when she saw his eyes pinch on the sides.

Edward stood, unable to move, and felt utterly helpless which was the most horrible thing he could imagine. His wife, the love of his life, was heartbroken maybe beyond repair and it was all solely because of him. There was no one else to blame in this scenario, no one besides him that had to shoulder the burden of hurting the incredible woman across from him.

"Isabella," he said slowly, hoping she didn't tell him not to say anything. When she stood, staring at him with tear-filled eyes, looking so lost and shattered, he wasn't sure there was ever a time he'd hated himself more than right at that moment. "I love you, so fucking much. You have to know how much. I know you do. I know I've hurt you, but I never meant to. Please tell me you know that," he begged.

She was already shaking her head at him before he'd even finished the sentence. "I'm sorry, Edward, but I don't. How could I possibly know that?" she asked.

"Love, please. I know you're angry at me and I deserve every bit of it for the atrocious way I have treated you, but please, please tell me you believe me when I tell you I love you. Please," he said pitifully.

If she didn't believe anything else out of his mouth, ever, she had to believe that or else nothing else mattered.

Isabella hunched her shoulders and rubbed her temples before she picked up her head and looked at him. "I know you love me, Edward, but that doesn't fix everything. You haven't trusted me enough, trusted in us enough, to share anything with me. I suppose I'm as much to blame for that as you are because I let you get away with shutting me out. I've stood by your side; I've supported you against your family because I love you, but haven't pushed you to give me the answers that I damn well know I deserve. No more though, Edward. I'm done indulging your need to run from every little thing that reminds you of...I don't even know what because you haven't shared anything with me. When will you learn, when will you trust me enough to share all the things that make you...you?" she said between gasps as she fell completely apart in front of his eyes.

He was at a total loss as to what to even say to her because everything he thought sounded woefully inadequate. He'd failed her, in every possible way, and if he could, he'd throw himself before her on his knees and beg for her to inflict as much pain on him as he had to her, but there was no way she would, or could, do that. Isabella never hurt anyone, and certainly never on purpose and he'd never felt more unworthy of her than he did standing before her broken, weary body.

He continued to stare at her and for the first time since he met her, she looked afraid and defeated and it tore at him in a way he couldn't even describe. His stomach felt heavy, his heart even more so and if, by the grace of God or whatever higher power had sent Seth to him, he was somehow granted the time he so desperately wanted with her, he wouldn't fucking ever forget the way she looked or the way her voice sounded.

She began to shake, her shoulders moving up and down just seconds before he heard her breathing come in short, deep, gasps. A sound that was a cross between a scream of agony and a cry of despair escaped her lips and before he could stop himself, Edward flew across the room and wrapped his arms around her. Her entire body seemed to melt against his and he tried with all his might to absorb every ounce of her sorrow and heartache so she wouldn't have to feel it any longer. He whispered over and over again how much he loved her and though his tears flowed just as freely as hers did, hers singed his skin like acid for he knew that every single one of them was because of him.

"Shh, love, it's okay. I've got you," he crooned in her ear as he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

Isabella gave in to the comfort she felt being in his embrace and breathed in deeply through her nose. Immediately she recognized his totally unique scent, a mixture of spice, warm honey, and a trace of something that always reminded her of a fall day after it rained. She had no idea what any of it was, not really, and she would never be able to adequately describe it, but she would recognize it anywhere. It was why, even when they didn't share the same bed, she took his pillowcase when she changed the sheets on his bed. He always thought Charlotte took care of that, but she was the one that took care of cleaning his room. It was the only way she could keep a part of him with her. That thought caused her to immediately tense in his arms and when he squeezed in an attempt to keep her calm, she lost the last bit of the hold she had on her emotions.

"Let me go, Edward!" she screamed as she twisted out of his arms. She turned on him and in a hysterical voice shouted, "You don't get to hold and comfort me, not when this is all your fault. You just take and take and take and I stupidly and blindly continue to give and give and give. Well, guess what? My giving days are over."

Edward was too shocked to do anything except take what she had to say. Of course he knew that everything she was saying was the truth, so how could he argue with her? To make the situation even more torturous, there wasn't an explanation he could give that would ease any of her pain. He'd been hurt and broken by his parents, yes, but he'd done the same thing to her. How could he possibly ask for her forgiveness if he was unwilling to forgive them or Carlisle and Esme?

He wanted to ask if she was done when she stood for a few moments, breathing heavily in and out through her nose. Lord only knew he wasn't sure if he could take any more, but he knew he had to, it was the least he could do. _Fuck, he was such an asshole_ , he screamed in his head. He'd taken the beautiful woman across from him, the one he professed to love more than anyone, and destroyed her, her spirit, her very heart and soul and all because he'd been too afraid to share the pain of his past with her. He should have known, hell, he did know, she would never reject him, no matter what he told her. He was completely and totally one hundred percent to blame for all the hurt and devastation she was feeling, no one else.

Finally, after he didn't even know how long, she said in a hoarse, agonizing voice, "I'm going to my room," and turned and left the kitchen without even looking back at him.

He heard her soft footsteps on the stairs and when she turned right to her old room instead of to the left to the room they now shared, he found himself on his knees. He was still crying; he hadn't stopped since the first words out of her mouth, but he felt like he didn't even deserve them.

"Edward," came the gentle voice of Seth the moment he heard Isabella shut her door. The fact that she didn't slam but instead shut it with a soft click somehow shattered what little control he had left.

Huge wracking sobs escaped his mouth and he'd clenched his fingers so tightly he could feel the blood drip down his hand. He wanted to scream and yell, but would never allow himself to find relief from the pain that was building inside his chest that way. He didn't deserve it.

Seth laid a hand on his shoulder and immediately he felt the soothing calm the angel exuded but he shook him off. "NO!" he screamed at him when he stood up. "Go to her. Offer her that comfort. I don't want it or deserve it, not after everything I've done to her. Please...go help her," he begged.

The angel couldn't refuse his request, even though technically Edward was the only one he was supposed to help. In this case, Isabella was in much greater need of his help than his charge was. When Seth nodded at him, Edward turned around and stared out the window, not even wiping his face of his tears. He deserved to feel every single one of them, feel the burn of them against his skin.

He had no idea how long he stood staring out the window. He didn't even know what he was thinking about because the only thought he had was her and making sure she was okay. He knew he never should have waited this long to tell her everything and because he did, he'd caused her more pain than he already had and he wasn't sure how to deal with that. He wasn't even sure telling her about Ireland was even fair right then, because it felt more like relieving himself of a burden than helping to ease her pain. Nothing would ever excuse his behavior and what he'd done to her, at least in his mind, but she had asked for answers and he was damn well going to give them to her.

He owed her no less than that.

Sometime later he heard, "She's calmer now," from behind him and could only nod in thanks for the information.

Calmer...what the hell did that even mean? But, he was grateful for that at least.

"I have to tell her everything," Edward said, still not looking at the otherworldly being.

"Yes," Seth answered immediately.

"I've hurt her so fucking badly, she might never forgive me," Edward said forlornly.

"She loves you, Edward, she'll forgive you. She already has, remember? Right now she's in a great deal of pain and is lashing out, which she deserves to be able to do mind you, but her forgiveness isn't in question," Seth replied as he floated beside him. "Edward Anthony, I know everything she said tonight was hurtful and hard to hear, but Isabella has needed to purge herself of those built-up feelings for some time now. She's been so focused on you and making sure you were all right that she ignored her own questions and hurts. When you tell her everything you both will be able to put your past mistakes behind you and find the peace you both so desperately need and deserve. Trust me, Edward, trust her. You can do this and you must. If you want to heal that incredible woman upstairs, you must show her that you trust her enough to share your secrets. It's time; you've known this all along," Seth said quietly but with a great deal of emotion.

"I know," Edward answered.

Wasting no time, he turned from the angel and rushed up the stairs, not even asking Seth if he was staying or not, because in this case, it didn't matter whether he did or didn't. He was telling her everything, now. He almost changed his mind when he opened her door and found her curled into a tight ball in the middle of the bed looking like a frightened, scared, little girl, but he didn't. Instead he quietly approached the side of the bed and then knelt before her and reached out and ran his hand gently through her hair and then along her cheek. He waited until she opened her eyes and when she did, he immediately said, "My love, please let me tell you everything."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Deep, deep breaths everyone. It's going to get worse before it gets better, so be prepared. Isabella's break down has been such a long time coming and when it came, boy did she let Edward have it! But, now it's time for Edward to come clean and share...everything. It's not pretty, just so you know.**

**The next chapter is done, as is Chapter 23(mostly) so if things go according to plan, once we get through 23, we'll be able to move on to the healing from Edward's revelations. I'm still looking good for 30 chapters total, so 10 more after today's. There is still much...MUCH to come, so I hope you're going to stick with me until the end. Just a quick note, I've had a few people very worried about my adorable Alec. Please...please don't worry about him interfering with Isabella and Edward or causing problems between them. I have big plans for him, but none involve Isabella or Edward, okay? Just love him like I do, it's okay!**

**Don't forget about the Fandoms4Floods fundraiser that is still going on. There is a $5 minimum donation required, but in return you get a compilation that is full of some of your favorite authors in the fandom. My submission was an outtake from Edward and Isabella's honeymoon in Italy. If you need information, look on the blog.**

**I also signed up to write something for Fadom4Tsunami. I haven't quite decided what to write yet, so if you have any suggestions, please PM, email, or find me on Twitter and let me know. I'd like to get started soon, but I want to write something you all want to read. It can be from TGG, or from The Path We Choose for all you TPWC readers, or something completely new. Give me all your suggestions, I'm excited to take part in such a worthy cause.**

**I hope you liked last weeks bonus scene with our two favorite angels. This time, you'll see a VERY important discussion between Jasper, Emmett, Alec, and Marcus, so if you want to read it, review and I'll send you the bonus scene on Wednesday. If you need any of the prior bonus scenes, just email me at les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh, and for those of you who have been retweeting my Chapter updates and such, thank you so much! That means a lot and I hope you'll keep it up!**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one hurt...A LOT!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**A HUGE thank you to ysar at the Twilight Awards for the beautiful and amazing banner she made for The Greatest Gift. I was totally blown away and love it so much! Everyone be sure to look at the blog and check it out!**

**Don't forget to read the outtake that I posted on Friday. I know not everyone likes to read outtakes, but Seth's Story is kind of important to the whole story and there is something in it that will help you understand this chapter a bit better if you read it! Be sure to let me know what you think of the outtake, too, okay?**

**Now, is everyone ready? Tissues...I've been told...need to be at the ready, so grab them and let's go shall we?**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 22**

"Sweetheart, are you sure you're ready for this?" Isabella asked her husband softly while they were getting dressed.

He paused in the middle of buttoning his shirt and smiled sweetly at her and said, "Beautiful, I'm not sure I'd ever be ready but it's way past time to come clean, wouldn't you say?"

She nodded because he was right, but it didn't make what he was about to do any easier for him, for her, or for any of the rest of them either.

"I know, but I just don't want you to feel like you have to do this if you're not ready. The other night was bad enough; I don't want to see you have to go through that again," she told him with a sigh as she sat on the edge of the bed.

He walked and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm tightly around her shoulder. When she laid her head on his shoulder he kissed the top of her head and then ran his fingers through her hair. "Talking to you the other night was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life, but because you're the amazing woman you are, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Isabella, I'm ready to put all of this, everything, behind me, finally. I've put you and everyone else through more than anyone should have to suffer, all because I've spent twenty years angry at my parents. I never should have waited this long in the first place, so yes, thanks to you and the fact you're still here with me, I'm ready."

For the past three days, the two of them had stayed hidden from everyone and everything. Phone calls went unanswered, except for text messages to let everyone know they were okay and wanted to be left alone. The television hadn't been turned on except for the few times they'd cuddled in bed to watch a movie, which they wound up ignoring because they couldn't stop talking to or touching each other. Food was delivered because neither wanted to leave the other long enough to cook anything; even their showers had been taken together.

"Edward, you know I'll always be here. I love you," she told him when she picked her head up.

"Well, thank God for that because you know if you ever tried to leave I'd just find you and bring you back. I can't live without you, love," he told her and then pushed her back on the bed and laid on top of her. "You've been so incredible these last few days," he whispered and then proceeded to lower his lips to hers for a toe-curling kiss.

His tongue languidly slid in and out of her mouth, caressing her tongue with his. She let him lead, let him take what he needed, what he wanted, and he greedily accepted what she offered. His fingers tangled in her hair and he ground himself against her, letting her know that even though they had made love too many times to count over the past few days, his desperate need for her hadn't diminished in the least.

"Oh, Isabella," he chuckled in her ear. He flicked her earlobe with his tongue and then nibbled on the tender skin of her neck. "Is it bad for me to say I just want this night to be over so that I can be inside of you again?"

She ran her fingers through his hair and then across his forehead and beneath his eyes. Thankfully, over the course of the past forty-eight hours, the creases on his forehead had lessened significantly, the dip between his eyebrows had evened out again, and his eyes were back to the usual vivid bottle-green that she was used to. She hoped, for all their sakes, that once the rest of the family knew what she did, they could all begin to heal.

She knew she had.

Listening to Edward tell his story was the most painful thing she'd ever had to endure and by the time he'd cried himself to sleep after hours of talking, she could feel their connection and their commitment to each other strengthen even more. She held him as he shook in her arms and told him over and over how much she loved him and always would. How strong she thought he was for enduring everything he had. How much more she understood now that he had shared his past with her. She never pitied him because he didn't need to hear that. He needed to know and believe that even though he'd been wrong about so many things and pushed away all the people that loved him, they were still there for him, still there loving him no matter what.

"I suppose I can share you with the rest of our family and friends for a little while, but I'll be just as happy when we're alone again as you will be, sweetheart," she told him and pulled him back down for another kiss.

This time she was the one that did the exploring with her tongue and when she felt him settle between her legs, she moaned quietly in the back of her throat. She slowed the kisses down and then wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She felt his warm breath in her ear and she giggled softly when he growled. They stayed that way for a few minutes, lying together without saying a word, just soaking up the comfort each was offering the other.

After another moment or two she softly said, "I should probably go check on dinner. Everyone will be here soon."

He nodded against her shoulder then scooted off the bed. When he stood up he held his hand out to her and helped her off the bed. "I love you, Isabella, so fucking much," he told her as he laid his hand on her cheek.

She laid her soft hand over his and smiled at him. "I know, Edward, and I love you, too."

"I know."

He watched her walk out of the room and then turned to look in the corner, not surprised in the least to see the annoying angel person smirking at him.

"Enjoy the show?" Edward asked with a roll of his eyes and grunted when he heard the booming laugh that shook the windows.

"You, my friend, are in quite the good mood," Seth casually remarked.

"Ha, well we'll see how long that lasts once everyone gets here," Edward scoffed as he finished getting dressed.

"Well, I'd be willing to bet you'll feel even better once the night is over, Eddie. This is it you know? The last of what you need to accomplish; that has to make you feel good, yes?" the angel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Edward attached his watch to his wrist and then ran his fingers over the friendship bracelet he'd yet to take off. He thought about bullshitting the angel but then realized there was no point. The damn bossy being always seemed to know when he was being less than truthful anyway. "No, actually, it really doesn't to be honest with you. What would happen if I didn't talk to Carlisle and Esme, or Emmett...could I just drag this...whatever it is, out indefinitely?" he asked when he sat on the bed to tie his shoes.

"Nice try, Eddie my boy, but no, unfortunately it doesn't work quite that way." Seth chuckled at him.

Edward sat up and stared at the angel. Today he was dressed in a pair of khaki dress pants a white button-down and a brown sport coat. On his feet were a pair of brown wingtips and he couldn't help but laugh at the otherworldly being. He had a thought that the pain in the ass angel wore the God-awful shoes just to get a rise out of him.

After another moment of looking at him Edward said, "Well, you can't blame me for trying."

Seth regarded Edward, trying to figure out what was going on with him. For someone who was about to have one the most difficult discussions of his life on top of dealing with why it needed to be done in the first place, he was incredibly calm; much more so than Seth ever expected. He figured not only would a stern talking to be in order, but he assumed a glass or three of angelic scotch combined with some of his mumbo jumbo would be needed as well. The Edward Anthony Cullen in front of him was not what he expected, not at all.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Seth demanded when he couldn't take not knowing any longer.

Oh, he would pay for that slip, he knew, when he returned to Gideon and the others, but he had a feeling Edward was keeping something from him, something important and he didn't like it, not one little bit.

Edward tried to keep the self-satisfied grin off his face, but that only lasted for about two point two seconds before he laughed. "Sucks doesn't it?" he tauntingly asked.

"Edward Anthony, this is most definitely not the time to be playing games, and certainly not with me," the angel said sternly which caused his charge to laugh even harder.

"Who's playing games?" Edward asked in a falsely innocent voice.

Edward was thoroughly enjoying himself even though he supposed he needed to get serious. However, he was having too much fun to stop, at least just yet. It had taken some time, but he'd finally gotten the best of Seth and he was going to enjoy it for as long as possible, that was for damn sure.

He wasn't sure, exactly, why he wasn't freaking out over the impending conversation, but he wasn't. Ever since he'd told Isabella, that same sensation he'd felt at the theater during the final act, the one in which he somehow knew everything would be okay, had settled over him like a warm blanket. Between the unforgettable night he and Isabella shared after the confrontation with Vincent, all the talk of naming Isabella his successor at CP, and then the past few days when the angel had let him be, he hadn't had a chance to ask about what had happened to him last week. When the feeling came back, Edward decided to keep it to himself. Why? He had no idea, but he just knew it was something meant for him and him alone. He had no idea what it meant or why it was happening, but he didn't really care. After all that had happened to him and all that he'd had to accept on faith, what did one more thing really matter? All he knew was that though he was a bit nervous about how everyone would respond to his revelations, everything would be fine.

He just knew it.

Isabella believed it and he had no reason to doubt her. He would never do that again, not after everything she'd done for him.

"Oh, relax, Seth," Edward chuckled again, "things will be just fine," he said cheekily.

"Who the hell are you and where is the real Edward Cullen?" the angel asked with a shake of his head.

He had no clue what was going on with Edward but he supposed as long as he was calm, he shouldn't rock the boat. Besides, much like with some of the cryptic comments Gideon had said in passing lately, he couldn't help but feel that something else was at play, he just didn't know what it was.

Edward walked to the door and looked back at the for once stunned speechless angel and asked, "You coming?"

"Don't push me, boy," Seth growled loudly and the rumble sounded like thunder. "You might think you can pull one over on me but I promise you, I'll figure out what you're up to."

"You think so, huh?" Edward asked, totally not afraid of the threat.

Seth's eyes twinkled at his young charge. "I know so. Besides, it's time for you to answer the door. Company has arrived." He grinned then disappeared.

"Damn angel," Edward snickered and then quickly went down the stairs to open the door.

When he passed the entrance to the kitchen he couldn't help but smile at his beautiful wife. "I've got it, love. Do you need any help?" he asked quickly.

"No, besides I would bet that is Mama and Nonna and they'll try to kick me out of my own kitchen anyway," she said with a roll of her eyes.

He gave her a wink and when he approached the front door, sure enough, there were the Swans just like his brilliant wife guessed.

"Edward, son, so good to see you!" Charlie said in a loud, boisterous voice as soon as Edward opened the door. He stepped forward and gave his son-in-law a fierce hug and then strode into the house, followed by Renée and Nonna after they'd said hello to Edward as well.

Charlie couldn't help but look around with wide eyes, for it had been some time since they'd been invited to Isabella's and Edward's house. He wasn't sure what the occasion was for the invitation today either, but he was happy to be here.

"Bambola!" he cried when his daughter walked out of the kitchen. He noted right away that she first looked at Edward with a worried look and he chuckled when Edward rolled his eyes at her and then gave a small nod. Whatever was going on, it was clear this was more Edward's doing than his daughter's which immediately piqued his curiosity.

Edward laughed softly when Renée and Nonna walked straight into the kitchen with barely more than a hello for Isabella. He was extremely grateful for his wife's concern but he hoped she would try to enjoy herself as much as possible. When they'd first talked about how to handle telling the rest of the family they decided to have everyone over for dinner and then tell them all at once. It would be excruciating enough to say it again after he'd told Isabella; he most definitely did not want to have to repeat it numerous times afterward if he could help it.

She had hesitated though when he mentioned inviting her family as well as his, along with Jasper, Alice, Marcus, and Alec. Like he'd told her, they were all a family and it was way past time for them all to act like it. He loved Charlie, Renée, and Nonna, very much, and they had just as much right to know what had happened to him as the rest of them did. He and Charlie were closer than ever and spent a good deal of time together with and without Isabella's presence or even knowledge. They'd had lunch together at least once a week since her birthday and Charlie and Renée hadn't missed one of Jack's baseball games yet. In all honesty, he was closer to Charlie than he had ever been to Carlisle. A part of him felt horribly guilty about that fact, but the other was just extremely grateful for his father-in-law's unwavering support and guidance.

So yes, the Swans had just as much reason to be there as any of the rest of them.

After Edward and Charlie were able to visit for a few minutes, everyone else arrived. Edward had to chuckle to himself when they all realized how many people were there and he could see the questions in everyone's eyes, but decided to just let it go and enjoy himself as best he could. He wasn't sure, but with the exception of his and Isabella's reception, he couldn't recall another time when they'd all been at the same place at the same time.

It was an oversight Edward vowed to fix in however much time he had left.

He introduced Marcus and Alec to Charlie, Renée and Nonna again and laughed heartily when both blushed profusely when Renée kissed them and when Nonna told Alec she had the perfect girl for him within five minutes of meeting him. Somehow, he didn't even doubt her.

Charlie, Carlisle, and Emmett were happily discussing Jack's last baseball game and Rose, Esme, and Alice were all talking about some new restaurant they wanted to try. As he looked around the room he was struck with how different everyone was but how they all seemed to mesh perfectly. He supposed it was what being a family was all about. He held his hand out and smiled when Isabella slid her tiny soft hand in his. He'd known she was there, he could feel her just like he always could, but ever since the other night it was if their bodies called out to the other's if they were apart too long.

"Should be an interesting night," he said quietly when he lifted their joined hands to his mouth and pressed a wet open-mouthed kiss to the inside of her wrist.

"You don't have to tell them all tonight, you know that, right? We can just eat dinner and visit and no one would be the wiser," she told him as she searched his face for any sign of trepidation and was more than a bit surprised when she found none.

This time instead of kissing her wrist, he kissed her lips and then rested his lips against hers when he said, "Beautiful, thank you for being worried about me, but really, I'm ready for this. I promise I am."

"I'll be right beside you the whole time," she told him quietly, holding his face in her hands.

He nodded and gave her her smile. "I know. It's the only reason I know I can do it."

Dinner was a raucous affair. Between Emmett, Charlie, and Alec everyone was laughing so hard it was a wonder anyone was able to eat any of the delicious food Isabella had fixed. Not wanting to spend all day in the kitchen, mostly because she couldn't bear to be away from Edward that long, she'd decided to make three pans of lasagna, homemade garlic bread and Caesar salad. She'd also made cheesecake brownies for dessert and planned on making cappuccino to have along with it, mostly because it was his favorite he knew.

Once everyone was finishing up their dinner he leaned over and kissed Isabella on the cheek. "Are you going to be okay? I know this is going to be as hard for you as it is for me."

"If you're sure you want to do this, then I'm doing it with you," she told him when she turned to look at him.

He rested his forehead against hers and whispered, for what seemed like the thousandth time, "I love you. Thank you for...everything."

"I wish you would stop saying thank you, Edward. I'm not doing anything besides loving you and supporting you. It's...it's just what I do," she said with a shrug of her delicate shoulders.

"Well, what you do is incredible, so I guess I'll just leave it at that," he said with a grin. He took a deep breath and quietly said, "Here we go."

She nodded in encouragement and reached for his hand, entwining their fingers together. He smiled at her before he stood up. When he did so the conversation slowly came to a halt and he shook his head when everyone stared at him expectantly.

"Yo, Ed, you getting ready to make a speech or something?" Emmett asked from the other side of the table.

Edward looked down at Isabella before answering. "Something like that, Em." He reached for his glass of wine and took a drink before clearing his throat a couple of times. As much as he was looking forward to getting through the night, finding a way to start the conversation was causing him a bit of trouble.

Thankfully, he was saved by his brother. "What's going on, Edward? As great as it is to all get together, I have a feeling there is a reason."

Emmett had enjoyed himself thoroughly all night, but ever since he'd arrived he'd had a nervous feeling in his stomach. He watched Edward closely and though he had smiled and laughed a good deal during dinner, he knew his brother well enough to know that there was a reason they were all there tonight. He only hoped whatever it was, it wasn't bad.

Edward took a moment to look all around the table and everyone pretty much had the same look of expectation mixed with a bit of worry, too. He shifted from foot to foot for just a few seconds before he took a deep breath and said, "Why don't we all go into the living room where everyone will be more comfortable? This is liable to take a little while."

"Edward?" Esme asked worriedly before everyone started to move.

"Mother, please. I'll explain everything in just a few moments. This is a good thing, I promise," he told her softly.

With that everyone left the table and found a place to sit in the living room. Isabella refused to let go of his hand, knowing that he would need her strength to make it through what was about to happen. She moved an ottoman in front of the fireplace so that the two of them could see everyone and pulled Edward down beside her. Even though they all were looking at her and Edward, she took the time to whisper softly to him, "You can do this, sweetheart. I'll be right by your side, okay?"

He didn't say anything but he nodded and rested his lips against her forehead briefly before turning to look at a sea of very expectant faces. "I know all of you have been wondering what has been going on with Isabella and me over the past few days, especially after my behavior for the few days preceding our self-imposed lock down. So let me start by apologizing to Emmett, Jasper, Alec, and Marcus especially for acting like such an ass at the office."

"Nothing really all that new there, Edward," Jasper said good-naturedly and Edward was grateful when everyone chuckled at his statement.

"Jas, as much as I would like to disagree with you, I can't and that kind of brings me to why Isabella and I asked you all here tonight," he told his best friend before looking from face to face.

He took a very shaky, nervous breath and began slowly. "In all actuality, I owe everyone in this room an apology for acting the way I have toward each and every one of you. I don't have an excuse for my behavior, though I suppose I have a reason. Thanks to the love and never-ending support of my amazing wife, I'm finally ready to tell you all what that reason is."

"Edward," Esme cried out softly. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest as she stared at him with wide eyes.

Carlisle immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He was in shock, utterly speechless as he looked at his son. When they'd gotten the invitation for dinner he wondered what was going on but never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine that Edward was ready to share his past with all of them. He watched Isabella squeeze Edward's hand and when Edward looked down at her and smiled, he had never been more grateful for his daughter-in-law than he was at that moment.

"Mother, this has been a long time coming; you and I and everyone in this room knows that. I've kept things from you for far too long and it's time to tell you everything so we can all move past it and be a true family. I want to do this," Edward said and took another deep breath.

He pulled Isabella's hand onto his lap and looked at their joined fingers before he began. "I know most, if not all, of you have assumed that my childhood was...not good, but I'm quite sure none of you know exactly how bad it was. I'm not sure exactly where to start so I guess the beginning is as good a place as any. Um...from the time I was little, well for as long as I can remember, I was on my own. I may have had a mother and a father, and I may have had a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and clothes to wear, but that was about it. It seemed as if the moment I started school when I was five, it was up to me to get myself dressed, make my own breakfast and lunch, and pretty much anything else."

He heard the soft gasps from everyone fill the room and when he looked at Esme, she was already crying. "Mother, I know this is going to be difficult for you to hear," he told her apologetically.

"I just don't understand, Edward. What do you mean you had to take care of yourself? Where was Maggie? Where was Liam?" Esme asked after she wiped her eyes.

Edward could feel his eyes narrow as he thought about the man that gave him life. He wasn't sure he could ever refer to Liam as his father because the man damn sure never knew what the meaning of that word was. He shrugged his shoulders in answer to her question. "Around I guess," he stated bitterly. "It was fairly obvious early on that he never wanted to be a father. Maybe my mother threatened him, though I highly doubt it. I would imagine she begged to have a baby and he gave in...I really have no idea. What I do know is that for as long as he was alive, I can probably count on one hand, maybe two if I thought hard enough, the number of times the man had a conversation with me."

"Edward, son, surely that can't be entirely accurate?" Carlisle asked, hoping beyond hope that Edward was just exaggerating, at least somewhat, because the thought of what he just said being true, pierced his heart and left him with a burning pain.

As easy as it would have been to take that comment the wrong way, Edward understood immediately where Carlisle was coming from. "Actually, Carlisle, it is. I know it's hard to believe, but to my...to Liam I was nothing more than an afterthought.

"The fact of the matter is this, I grew up in a house that wasn't a home. I had parents who acted like I didn't even exist. I was making my own dinner by the time I was five, granted the best I could do was peanut butter and jelly or a bowl of cereal, but it was food at least. By the time I was ten, I learned how to work the washing machine so I could at least have clean clothes to wear to school. There were no birthday presents, no Christmas presents, no Thanksgiving dinners...ever," he said in a sad voice.

"Do you know," he went on and he wasn't sure if he was talking more to himself or to the others. Now that the floodgates had been opened he had so many buried memories rushing to the surface. "I can't even tell you with certainty what my...Liam did for a living. I know he worked at some import/export business but I can remember hearing bits and pieces of conversations between him and my mother that made it seem like he did something totally different. After talking with Isabella the other night and remembering things I hadn't thought about in a long time it's almost like the two of them lived this whole separate life that I wasn't a part of, not that I was a part of it anyway."

"Edward," Jasper asked in a pained voice. Even hearing just the little bit he had, he already understood his friend so much better. "What did you do about getting to and from school, about homework and stuff like that?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders and said, "I walked and I did it myself. Luckily for me I guess I was a pretty smart kid and from a really early age spent a lot of time reading in the library or at home. I didn't have anyone to talk to, so...I read."

"No wonder you were so far ahead of everyone when you came to Chicago," Esme said softly.

"What about friends, neighbors, Edward? Didn't anyone help you?" Charlie asked in a gruff voice.

"I didn't have any friends because I learned early on the only person I could rely on was myself. I'm sure if I would have asked someone for help I would have gotten it, but I didn't trust anyone to help me. If my own parents didn't think I warranted enough to be concerned about me, why would I think anyone else would care? Now, of course, I realize that is wrong. Well, let me amend that," he said and looked at Isabella. "I'm learning that has never been the case."

"Edward, if I had known," Esme started but Edward held up his hand to stop her.

"You didn't and there is no way you could have either. By the time I came to live with you, Carlisle, and Emmett I'd already pretty much just shut down. I tried over and over and over again to be enough, to matter enough to the two people who should have loved me more than anyone, all to no avail. It seemed like no matter how much I excelled at school or even when I acted out to get attention, nothing affected them. Their sole focus was on each other; nothing and nobody else mattered, not even their son," he finished and took a painful breath.

"What about Maggie? Edward, she was your mother; surely she didn't treat you the same as...as Liam did?" Esme questioned, desperate to hear that her sister couldn't possibly have treated her own son in such a way.

"It was different, but she did. In some ways, it was worse than the way he treated me only because there were a few times when she acted like she cared about me. She'd make double chocolate chip cookies for me to have after school," he said and then smiled knowingly at Isabella. "Or she'd watch cartoons with me on Saturday mornings, or at least she would until he got up and wanted breakfast. Her attention never lasted for long and Liam always came first, no matter what."

"Ed, didn't you play sports or anything like that? Do anything for fun?" Emmett asked in a heartbroken voice.

Edward sighed and hung his head, remembering the day he arrived in Chicago and how excited his little brother had been at having him there, and how sad he looked the next morning after Edward had torn down all of the posters off the wall. "I asked...him...to teach me how to play baseball when all the other boys started playing, but he never did. I was already getting picked on because of other...things; I thought if I played baseball like everyone else did, maybe I wouldn't get teased so much," he answered Em when he'd picked his head back up.

He watched as Emmett's eyes grew wide as he remembered. "No wonder you hated those posters so damn much. You sure annihilated them; all that was left was the tiny pieces of paper still attached to the thumbtacks," he said quietly.

"I'm really sorry, Emmett," Edward told him, apologizing for hurting his feelings all those years ago. "There was no way you could have known but I never should have done that, either."

Emmett waved off Edward's apology, but only because it wasn't needed. Rosalie reached over and ran her hand up and down her husband's back. She could feel his agony for Edward rolling off of him in waves, not that she blamed him in the least.

"Edward," she said not stilling her comforting movements, "you said you got picked on, how do you mean?"

She noticed immediately that both Isabella and Edward tensed at her question and that Isabella scooted even closer to Edward than before. Edward let go of the hand he held in his lap and wrapped an arm around her, almost protectively she thought and when Isabella looked up at him and had tears in her eyes, she got a sick feeling in her stomach.

With everything that Edward had told her about his childhood and his parents, what he was about to share had been, by far, the hardest thing for Isabella to deal with. She wasn't a mother, but she hoped to be one day, and couldn't bear to think of treating a child the way Maggie had treated Edward. She had been angry before in her life, but she had never felt the burning hatred she felt for the woman that had given birth to her Edward. As far as she was concerned, it was the only redeeming thing about the woman, and she used that term very loosely.

_Bitch._

That was the description she found herself using more and more often whenever she thought about Maggie, and she found herself more and more comfortable using the word that was completely out of character for her, but really, was there another way to describe her? She supposed she could precede bitch with selfish, horrible, fucking, and all would work, but bitch worked just fine on its own, too. She looked at Esme and gave her a sad smile. What Edward was about to tell everyone would certainly shatter any hope Esme had of her sister being the girl she remembered.

"Well, Rose," Edward started somewhat wearily. "Up until about the time I was twelve or so, I suppose I was a little on the small side. I guess because of that, or let's be honest, because my mother didn't pay attention, she thought that because I was small I didn't need new clothes. I liked to read; I didn't play sports; I kept to myself because I didn't have any friends, so I was a prime target for the bullies at my school. For the most part," he said and then swallowed thickly. Isabella lifted her arm and wrapped it around his waist holding him as tight as she could. He knew she struggled with this part of his childhood and he hated making her listen to it again, but he didn't have a choice.

"For the most part," he began again, "the teasing mostly stayed to knocking my books out of my hands, picking me last in PE class, mean notes shoved in my locker and things like that. Every now and then I'd get tripped in the hallway or get my lunch stolen, but it wasn't too bad," he said mirthlessly. "When my clothes started getting too tight and too short because I started to grow, the teasing turned nastier and happened more often. One day I got cornered on the way home from school and a group of boys beat me up pretty badly. Bloody nose, split lip, torn clothes, things like that," he continued in a monotone voice. "When I got home, I knew my...father wouldn't care about what happened, but I figured my mom would. I mean what mom wouldn't be upset at seeing her son beat to shit?"

"Edward, no," Esme whispered in an anguished voice.

Her stomach was twisted in knots at the thought of her sister doing nothing to help her son, but from the way Edward sounded, she knew that was exactly what happened.

Edward looked sadly at the woman who was more a mother to him than his own had ever been and slowly nodded his head. "Neither she nor Liam did anything about it. They didn't contact the school or the other kids' parents, hell, they didn't even take me to a damn doctor. All my mother told me when I got home was to make sure I didn't get any blood on the floor and to make sure I cleaned myself up before my father got home from work so I didn't upset him," he said bitterly.

Isabella noticed that there was no sound in the room except for the soft cries of Esme, her mother, Nonna, and Rose. Poor Alice looked shell-shocked as she sat next to Jasper blinking rapidly but saying not a word. Emmett and Jasper looked like they wanted to murder someone, that was if her father and Carlisle didn't take care of it first. Marcus and Alec just looked...sick.

"Are you holding up okay?" she asked him quietly, though everyone was staring at them.

He nodded and let out a long exhale and tightened then relaxed his shoulders. Was he okay? As uncomfortable as he felt just then due to the topic, he really was. "I'm good. What about you, Beautiful? I know this is just as hard for you as for me," he whispered.

She nodded her head at him and felt her heart swell with so much pride for him. He was handling himself so well and making sure that everyone else wasn't overwhelmed by what he was saying. She knew there were a few more revelations he needed to share, but he was almost done.

The hardest ones were yet to come, though.

Edward cleared his throat so he could keep going. Now that he'd started, he just wanted to get it all out so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. It wasn't like he didn't know there would be questions from everyone and he'd also realized that just because he finally shared his past, it wouldn't automatically fix everything and it would all magically just be okay, but he could tell that even though it had only been three days, both he and Isabella had healed so much and he hoped to give the rest of his family and friends the same sense of peace.

"As I got just a little bit older and grew just a little bit more, I guess somehow my parents decided that meant I was even more capable of taking care of myself. I would come home from school to find an empty house; no note; no dinner in the oven, nothing. Hell, I can remember more than a few times them being gone for an entire weekend without even letting me know where they were going or if they would be coming back," he finished on a shaky breath.

God, he could remember like it was yesterday the sinking feeling he'd get in his stomach as Friday turned to Saturday and then Sunday with no contact with his parents. They might have been awful parents, but he felt some sort of comfort knowing they were in the same house as him at least. Being all alone, not knowing when or if they were coming home was excruciating.

Which was why when Isabella left his office the other day and then came home so late he was in a state of terror. She'd felt horrible, of course, when he'd told her why he'd acted the way did, but she surely wasn't to blame. She would have known if he'd told her long ago.

"Edward, sweetie, what about school things like parent/teacher conferences or anything like that. Didn't your mother go to those? I don't know what school is like in Ireland, but I know when Isabella was little we had to meet with teachers and there were programs and plays and awards to attend all the time," Renée asked gently.

Edward smiled at his mother-in-law and felt how much she loved him. He knew what he was sharing would trouble her and Charlie and Nonna as well. The Swans were incredibly loving people, so there wasn't really much chance of them understanding his parents' behavior, not that any of them could really fathom it to begin with.

He shook his head at her question. "No, Renée. There was this one time," he began in a far away voice. "I had made it to the finals of a really big Science Fair and won. There was going to be this really big production where I was going to be presented with an award and there was going to be a ceremony for all the winners from all the different schools. I was so excited and ran home to tell my mom, well that, and some other news as well," he said with a smile when he glanced quickly at Isabella.

He'd told her all about the girl named Molly that he'd helped at school that one day and how he'd asked her to sit with him at lunch, too. He'd been so happy that day, so excited and when his teacher had told him about the award and the ceremony on top of sitting with the prettiest girl in the school, or so he thought, he'd run home full of news of the best day of his life only to have her completely ignore him and rush out to meet his father...again.

He also told Isabella that was the day that finally just pushed him over the edge and he shut down completely. He withdrew even more, spent even more time by himself, and even went so far as to find a corner in the library so he could eat lunch alone.

"Anyway," he began again. "I told my mom, who of course didn't pay any attention, but I kept reminding her after thinking that when the time came she would show up because she knew how important it was to me. I waited and waited and when it was time for each recipient to take a picture with their family's of course I didn't have anyone there. Talk about awkward," he scoffed and shook his head.

Isabella growled in the back of her throat and he brushed a kiss across her temple. "Down, tiger," he chuckled softly.

The topics of discussion were painful and brought up memories he'd have rather left buried, but he already felt so much better having shared his story one time and he could afford to try to lighten things up, if even a little bit, for his amazing wife.

There was a lull in the conversation and Carlisle shifted uneasily on the couch beside his wife. Everything he'd heard thus far this evening had been eye-opening but there were still a few questions he hoped Edward would answer. For twenty-plus years he'd dealt with the fact that there were things he'd never asked, mostly because he didn't want to know, he now recognized. When he and Esme arrived in Dublin when they'd received news of Maggie's death and found out Liam was also dead, they'd rushed to Edward's aid. Between completing complicated paperwork and expediting Edward's adoption, there had been very little time to concentrate too much on Liam and Maggie. It was avoidance, plain and simple, Carlisle knew both then and now, and he couldn't help but wonder how different things might have been if only he and Esme had pushed instead of pulled back.

"Son, will you tell us what happened to Liam and Maggie?" he beseeched.

He watched as Edward and Isabella huddled close with their heads bent toward the other. They whispered back and forth for a few minutes, totally oblivious to the rest of them in the room. He felt a twinge of jealousy flare up at the realization that she knew more than he did and he was Edward's father, but immediately tamped that down after silently admitting he hadn't been much of one to the man across from him. Not only that, with an almost suffocating amount of guilt, he also had to admit that he hadn't ever shown Edward the unconditional love and support that Isabella did either.

He definitely could learn a lesson or ten from his incredible daughter-in-law, no question about it.

"I'm not sure I can do this, Beautiful," Edward whispered softly to her. He'd lowered his head and leaned it against hers, trying to calm the stampede of elephants in his stomach.

Isabella rubbed comforting circles on his back and said softly, "You can, Edward. You're doing so great and it's almost over. Everyone has tiptoed around this subject for twenty years, sweetheart; it's time to give them the answers and then lay it to rest."

"But, Esme...Carlisle..." he started but she picked up her other hand and gently laid her fingers over his lips.

"Shhh," she said. "No more excuses. You can do this, I know you can."

Edward closed his eyes tightly, so tight he saw stars behind his eyelids and then exhaled through his nose. He'd known this question would come up but he was no more ready to talk about it now than he'd been when he told Isabella three days ago. He'd kept it all buried for twenty years; there was a reason for that.

"Okay," he said and swallowed before turning to Carlisle. "You have to remember, I was only fourteen-years-old when everything happened so I was pretty much in the dark as far as information about Liam. Right before he...died, I remember hearing him and my mom talking at all hours of the night. I couldn't really understand what they were saying, but both of them sounded nervous. I also remember thinking it was weird that they stayed home more than usual, but they did. Night after night they'd sit in the living room whispering and arguing back and forth, and if I walked past the room, they'd immediately stop talking until I left again. I only heard bits and pieces and it was never enough to get a grasp on what was going on. They were both tense, I can tell you that, but that's about it."

He took a deep breath and looked at Isabella for a moment, really needing her encouragement to go on. "One night... _the_ night...I only remember a few things, but the most clear memory I have is hearing my mom scream and then the sound of her body hitting the floor when she'd fainted. I had been upstairs in my room reading and I knew Liam had gone out but for some reason, my mom had stayed home. It was pretty late at night, I remember, but I didn't sleep much so I was still up when I heard the knock on the door. I went downstairs and immediately saw two police officers standing in the open doorway trying to help her up off the ground. They both looked shocked to see me but as soon as they started to talk, my mom started coming to. We got her on the couch and when she was finally all there, she was...hysterical. I didn't understand what she was saying, and all I could hear was 'he's gone' over and over again. Finally one of the officers looked at me and told me that my father had been killed. He didn't tell me much, only that Liam had apparently been walking home and been attacked in an alley between his office and our house. They started asking my mom a bunch of questions, most of which I didn't understand but they made me nervous. I heard questions about enemies, if she knew of anyone that would want to hurt him or her, if he'd been acting strange lately, if we'd gotten strange telephone calls...all of which should have been answered with a yes, but she just sat there and stared off into space, muttering under her breath. Now I know she was in shock, but of course I had no idea what was happening to her back then. I remember I cried, only because I was scared of what would happen to us without him. The police officers left and I heard them say something to her about having to make a statement but she didn't even move until after they'd closed the door."

Edward kissed the side of Isabella's head and stood up, needing to move to get through this next part. He hated losing the feel of her next to him, but he had so much pent up energy racing through him, he felt like he could fall apart at any time. Charlie took one look at his daughter, whose eyes never left Edward's as he paced around like a caged lion, and then slid from the couch and sat down next to her, wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders. She didn't stop watching Edward, but he did feel her pat his hand in acknowledgment.

Edward shot Charlie a very grateful smile when he noticed he'd taken his place beside Isabella.

Once he'd paced back and forth a few more times and realized no one had made a sound of any sort for quite some time, he turned back toward everyone. He stared anxiously at Esme who he could tell was just barely holding it together. He frowned quickly, because though he knew she needed to hear what happened, he was certain the truth was going to be worse than anything she had imagined.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Everyone still with me? I know that was hard to read...believe me, I KNOW! It was hard to write, too, and the next chapter is, in my opinion, even harder still, but it's all necessary. Don't hate me for leaving it here either! I didn't have much choice and I've already had to add a chapter to fit everything in that's needed...so just...have patience with me. I don't like to drag things out just for the sake of doing it, but this was the best place to stop. Honest!**

**Was Edward's past what you thought? I know I've hinted about a few things so hopefully you all had some idea of what was coming. As you can see, the abuse Edward suffered was emotional rather than physical, and as you can also see was just as damaging. All his life he felt like he wasn't worth loving, so much so, that he completely hid away from everyone and everything.**

**I also hope you understand what I did with this chapter. I'm sure you all want to see the conversation between Edward and Isabella, and we will, I just didn't want to repeat myself and felt it was better to get it all out once, and then go backward. Keep hanging in there with me, okay? I promise you'll get the answers to all your questions, at least that is my intention and keep believing in a Happily Ever After! I PROMISE I have a plan!**

**So, next chapter will have more information in it about Edward's birth parents and their deaths and we're getting closer to the much anticipated conversation between Edward, Carlisle and Esme! So keep the tissues handy, you're not done with them yet!**

**Bonus scene this week—A break from the unhappy for you all. I'm going to send you a sneak peek from the Honeymoon Outtake I've submitted for the Flood fundraiser. I'll give you all a glimpse of the wedding, how about that? So if you want to read it, review and I'll send you the bonus scene on Wednesday. If you need any of the prior bonus scenes, just email me at les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Because there is still an issue with FFn in regards to sending out review replies and such to gmail accounts, I'll also post the review reply and bonus scene on the blog. I hope you'll still review and let me know what you thought of this chapter, but don't worry about not getting to read the bonus scene! It'll be on the blog...last weeks is up still for those of you that haven't had a chance to read it yet!**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)**

**Keep checking it often. If Ffn continues to have problems, new chapters and outtakes will always be posted there!There is also a new polyvore going up of Seth from this chapter so check it out.**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

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**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one hurt...A LOT!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, Jennifer, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost. This chapter was so...SO hard to get just right, and I'm still not positive it is, but without their help, it would have been a big jumbled mess!**

**A HUGE thank you to ysar at the Twilight Awards for the beautiful and amazing banner she made for The Greatest Gift. I was totally blown away and love it so much! Everyone be sure to look at the blog and check it out!**

**Now, is everyone ready? Tissues...I've been told...need to be at the ready, so grab them and let's go shall we?**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 23**

Edward took one more look around the room and tried not to let the fact that everyone looked like they were holding their breath and bracing for the worst keep him from doing what needed to be done. _He was almost done_ , he thought, trying to give himself that last push he needed.

"Mother," Edward finally began after taking one last deep breath. "This next part is going to be incredibly difficult for you to hear. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Before he'd even finished his sentence, Esme was nodding her head. "Edward, I want...I need to know, finally, and once and for all what happened to my sister. I can't believe it has taken this long to get to this point, but now that we're finally here, it's time to get everything out in the open. Please, son, tell me what happened to her," she begged, as she tried to keep herself together.

Carlisle was almost beside himself with anxiety as he watched the exchange between his beloved wife and his son. He wanted to pull his hair out by the roots, he wanted to scream, but more than anything he wanted to stand up and wrap his arms around Edward and beg him to forgive him for all the times he had failed him since the moment he entered their lives. It was taking all he could not to break completely down, but he vowed to stay as strong as he needed to be for Esme...and for Edward as well. He was, by God, going to finally stand by his son's side and offer him whatever he needed, for however long he needed it.

It was the least he could do.

"Edward, son, do you need a moment, a drink or anything?" he asked, trying to find some way to let Edward know he was there for him.

"No, thanks, I'm...um, no," Edward stammered because he was about to say he was 'good' but everyone in the room knew that was a damn lie.

He looked at Isabella, taking just a second to give her a tender smile that he hoped conveyed everything he felt for her. He owed her...everything. He didn't even know how to begin articulating everything she meant to him and everything she'd done for him. She truly was, without question, his greatest gift, and if it took a thousand lifetimes, he still wouldn't be able to express how much he loved her or how grateful he was for her.

That tingling feeling he always got whenever Seth was near prickled down his spine. Edward quickly glanced toward the corner of the living room and sure enough, there he was, standing, well, floating, but not moving a muscle.

"Edward Anthony, can you find the strength to finish?" Seth asked anxiously.

He knew, oh Lord he knew, how imperative it was that Edward finish what he had started, but the poor angel was so terribly conflicted as he watched Edward struggle to keep himself together. Seeing Edward in pain tore at his heart and when he turned his ice blue eyes toward Isabella, he almost lost the tenuous hold he had on his emotions. In all honesty, not one person in the room looked like they could endure much more.

Edward closed his eyes and hung his head, expelling a very deep breath. His heart was pounding painfully against his chest and his stomach felt like it had been poked and prodded with a branding iron. He had never been as fucking grateful for Seth's presence as he was just then, only because it gave him a brief reprieve from the almost suffocating tension in the room.

"Edward?" the angel asked again.

"I have no idea, to be fucking honest with you, but I have to. I've come too far to just stop when I'm so close to finally putting this behind me," Edward said in a totally monotone voice.

Seth finally moved and floated to where Edward stood still as a statue. He lifted his hands and laid them on his young charge's shoulders, the ones that seemed so weary from carrying so very much. "You're doing so well, Edward. You can do this. I know it seems like a mountain you can't climb, but I know you can do it."

"It's going to hurt Esme so much," Edward said softly.

"Yes," Seth said simply.

There was no reason to sugarcoat it, Esme would be devastated.

"Give them the answers they all need, Edward Anthony; clear the air with Carlisle and Esme, and move on. Lay the past to rest and enjoy the peace that you have fought so hard to gain," the angel implored, using every bit of his otherworldly persuasive powers to help Edward understand just how much he believed in him.

"I'm ready," Edward shakily said when he lifted his head and rolled his shoulders.

"I won't leave you, Edward. If you need me, I'll be here," Seth said and then took up his sentry post in the corner of the living room to stand at the ready.

Once Edward realized that everyone was 'present' again, he faced them all once more. "I'm going to try to get this all out, so I'd appreciate it if you could all just let me say what I need to without interrupting. This is going to be hard enough to get out without stopping and starting," he said as he began pacing again.

Isabella curled in closer to her father, resisting the urge to fling herself into her husband's arms and drag him upstairs to keep him from having to go through this again. She knew how incredibly difficult what he was about to share with everyone was going to be to hear, but no one more so than Esme. As many conflicting feelings as she had toward her mother-in-law, she would never, ever want to see her suffer, and there was no way once she heard what Edward had to say, she wouldn't be hurt.

She kept her eyes intently trained on her husband, taking note of the rigid stance of his posture, and the way his eyes were pinched. Of course the most telling sign was the deep 'v' in between his eyebrows and the way his hair was going every which way from having been pulled and tugged over the past hour or so he'd been talking. She was so incredibly proud of him, so much so that her heart threatened to burst right from her chest. Over the course of the past few days she could see the weight being lifted from his shoulders and she most definitely could feel the last of his walls disintegrate into nothingness and float away. She had no doubt that once everyone fully grasped the extent of the trauma he lived through, they could all become the family they were supposed to be.

And, it would all be due to her incredible husband.

Emmett watched his brother pace back and forth, feeling like a knife was twisting in his heart. Hearing what Edward had been through with his birth parents about wrecked him, and then to find out his father had been killed, and from the sounds of it, murdered, made him want to scream. The tension in the air was so thick you could practically cut it and Emmett knew the worst was yet to come. Knowing, finally, what had caused Edward to behave the way he had explained so much. Emmett wished more than anything that there was something he could do to make the pain that Edward was still so evidently suffering, go away. All the times Edward had held back, all the times he'd acted like he didn't care, each and every time he withdrew, Emmett understood now.

He took a quick look at Bella and felt his heart break even more when he could see how upset she was. He had no idea what had happened the other day to cause things to reach the obvious tipping point, and he hated that the two of them had both endured a great deal, but he was so fucking grateful to finally be here. He had never admired his brother more than he did right then nor had he ever loved him so much.

Edward stopped moving and picked up his story. "As soon as the door closed behind the policemen my mom just...lost it. She screamed and started shaking; she kept making this horrible sound that was the worst thing I'd ever heard. It sounded like someone was literally peeling the skin from her body. She started throwing anything she could get her hands on and when she looked at me it was like she didn't even know I was there. She just kept muttering over and over again how she couldn't live without him and how she didn't want to be alone. She never once asked how I was or anything, she only thought about herself and...him. I was pretty much numb by this point, between the news of my dad and then watching her break the fuck down, I was just...done."

He started stalking back and forth again, trying to keep the memories he had of that time at bay, or at least from overtaking him so he could concentrate on what he had to say. So many things had rushed to the surface and threatened to overwhelm him. Visions of his mother wailing uncontrollably, totally blind to all that was going on around her filled his mind and it felt like he was reliving it all over again. The fear, the anger, the crushing guilt he felt because he didn't feel anything when he found out his father was dead.

"I remember," Edward went on in voice that set everyone's nerves on edge, "that she went to her room and didn't come out...for days. Strange people came and went, talking about things I had no idea about, asking me questions I had no answers for. The police came back and demanded to talk to her, but she was so incoherent it was a waste of a trip. I know I tried to ask the priest that had come by if we were going to have a funeral because I knew that was what we were supposed to do, but he patted me on the head and told me, 'I'm sorry, son. I don't know.'

"She never once checked on me or anything, just left me totally on my own to deal with people I didn't know or why they were there. By the time a few days had passed, a neighbor came by and checked on me. I had finally realized just how out of touch my parents had been...with everything. They had their group of friends or acquaintances from my dad's job, but other than that, they only spent time with each other. The only reason the neighbor came by was because of the police coming and going as well as the few friends they had. She was this nice old lady, at least she seemed old at the time, and she convinced me to go to school the next day. I still had no idea really what had happened to my...to Liam but being at school was better than being at home by myself listening to my mother cry nonstop."

Edward breathed in and out a few times and though he wanted nothing more than to grab Isabella and hold on tight, he resisted, but just barely. He did take a moment to look at her, staring deep into her warm and so very loving brown eyes. He let the love she had for him wrap around him like a warm blanket, knowing that as soon as he finished doing what he needed to do, there was nothing else standing between them. Every wall, every secret, every fear he had carried around for most of his life would be gone, leaving just him and her. Husband and wife. Lovers and best friends.

The words the all-knowing and exceedingly loving angel had spoken to him just a few days before sounded in his mind like a hymn sung during Sunday Mass. _No one knows what tomorrow will bring, Edward, but even if you only had one day, one day in which you, Isabella, and your family were at peace, wouldn't that be worth everything?_

It was in that moment that the feeling that everything would be okay settled over him once more, giving him the strength to go on. The pain he would feel reliving the worst moment of his life, again, was nothing compared to the peace and comfort he could give his parents...his brother...his Isabella. Even though she'd already heard his story once before, hearing it alongside those they both loved would be the ultimate culmination and the bond that would cement their family for the rest of their lives.

Seth had never been in a situation such as this. One where you knew that in just a few moments heartache of an unfathomable level was about to take place, but at the same time, the power of love and forgiveness was about to work its infinite magic. He felt the comforting presence of Gideon as he appeared beside him. As much as Seth wanted to stop time so that he could spare Edward, Isabella, and the rest of their family from the agony they were about to experience, he couldn't.

All he could do, as well as the rest of his kind, was pray that through God's grace, they would come out stronger than before.

Feeling his breathing become labored and the pain in his chest grow exponentially, Edward looked at his mother - his true mother. Knowing he could perhaps soften the blow she was about to receive, he walked toward her and knelt in front of her. Taking her shaking hand in his, he began softly and with tears pouring down his face. "All during the day, I could hear my classmates and teachers alike whispering every time I passed by. I'm sure, looking back on it, that it was quite the scandal, but at the time, I couldn't figure out why everyone was so concerned about my parents of all people. By the time the school day was over, I was almost relieved to go home, though as I walked toward my house, I got more and more anxious wondering what my mom was going to be like when I got there. I made my way home and as soon as I walked through the front door, I could tell something was...off. It was so damn quiet and I remember feeling cold. I took my shoes off like I was supposed to and laid my backpack on the dining room table. I know I looked around trying to figure out what was making it feel so weird, but everything looked just like it was supposed to. Slowly I made my way up the stairs, knowing that at any moment I would hear my mom crying because that was all she'd done for four days, but instead it was eerily quiet. When I got to the top of the stairs I turned toward my room, and then for reasons I still don't understand to this day, turned back toward my parents' room."

In the time it took him to take a deep breath, he could hear the sounds of Isabella crying behind him mixed with her soft words of "I love you." Taking the strength he needed from her words he looked up into the face of his mother. He swallowed over the huge lump in his throat and in barely more than a whisper went on. "When I got to her door, it was cracked open and when I knocked on it, it opened enough so that I could see her on the bed. I called her name a few times and got no answer so I thought she was sleeping. The window was open and the room was cold so I walked in, wanting to cover her up with a blanket. She was on her side, facing away from me and the blanket was on the chair next to her side of the bed. I walked as quietly as I could into the room, and I remember thinking it was odd that she didn't move. When I walked around the bed and looked at her, I immediately knew why."

"Oh, Edward...no..." Esme cried out in anguish. She reached out and clutched at his arms and her entire body shook when Edward nodded his head at her.

"She wasn't dead...yet, but she was just barely conscious. There were empty pill bottles strewn all over the bed in front of her along with the pills she hadn't taken. She was breathing really fast, like she couldn't catch her breath and her skin was this horrible grayish-white color. Her hair didn't even seem red anymore, but this washed-out dull brownish-orange color. I fell to my knees beside the bed and shook her, begging her not to leave me all alone. Over and over again I begged her and she just stared at me, not saying a word. When I'd cried myself out, I finally got it together enough to think to call 999 but when I moved to reach for the phone she stopped me. She begged me to let her die and told me she couldn't live without my father. When I asked her to live, to fight to stay alive, so she could stay with me, she told...she said..." Edward closed his eyes as he tried to keep her words from shattering him completely. He reached out and took Esme's hands in his and felt the arms of his wife wrap around him as she clung to his side.

Isabella couldn't take it any longer; her need to offer Edward some comfort, any comfort, simply overtook her and she flew from her father's side and fell to the floor beside him, holding him as tightly as her arms would allow. She wasn't sure she could hear the words again that his mother had spoken to him just moments before she died, but she knew she had to.

Though he could barely force the words out, Edward told Esme, "She said that I could never make her as happy as he could and that she would rather be with him than with me. On her last breath...she told me...she said...that without him there was nothing worth living for, not even me."

Once the words left his mouth, he sagged against Isabella and covered his face with his hands trying to stem the tears that poured from his eyes. Silently, he trembled as he leaned against her. The words swarmed in his mind, over and over again and for the briefest of moments he was back at that bedside, hearing those hateful, soul-killing words once more...that was until he felt the hands of Isabella reach for him and heard the sweet, loving, healing words of his beautiful wife.

"Edward, my love, you did it. It's done. I love you...I love you," she cried as she lifted his head up and tipped his face to hers. Her lips kissed every part of him she could reach and he wrapped his arms around her and held on for dear life as he shook in her arms. He could barely hear her words over his heavy breathing, but somehow he did. She told him over and over again, "You are worth loving, Edward. I love you, love you so much. I'm so proud of you."

Before long, Edward felt more arms around him, and he lifted his head from Isabella's shoulder to find Carlisle and Esme on the floor with him. He let go of his wife, though he didn't want to, and hugged both of his parents and felt their tears against his skin.

"Edward, oh, my boy! I love you so much...I'm so sorry," Esme cried hysterically as she squeezed him.

Carlisle could barely speak he was so overcome but he also said, "Edward, my son, I love you...I'm sorry," over and over again.

Edward couldn't speak; he just let his parents embrace him as he soaked up the comfort he felt being in their arms. It was an unsettling feeling to be sure after going so long without showing one another so much affection, but at the moment, it was needed. After another few moments passed, he felt another set of arms, this time much stronger, around his shoulders and he knew Emmett had joined them on the floor. His larger but younger brother shook uncontrollably beside him and had tears pouring down his face.

"Edward, oh, God...I'm so sorry...for everything...I didn't...I love you," he said almost incoherently.

Edward released one arm from around his father and lifted it to wrap around Emmett's. "Em, shhhh, you didn't know. I couldn't tell you...I'm sorry..." he started to say but was immediately silenced by Carlisle of all people.

"Edward, son, no! The blame for...I don't even know how to...just, please don't apologize any more. You have nothing to be sorry for," Carlisle said emphatically.

Even though he knew that wasn't quite the case, Edward didn't want to argue with him anymore. There were still things that needed to be worked through, but the worst was over.

The otherworldly beings looked on, all filled with a mixture of relief and pride and a bit of sadness, too, at the heartache the entire room was feeling, though none was feeling quite as much as Seth at that moment.

"You did it, Edward Anthony," the very proud angel whispered softly. He wanted nothing more than to be able to go to him and ease his pain, but knew he wasn't able to, at least not yet. He had never, ever, loved or been as moved by another human as he was when he watched Edward try to offer the very people that had damaged him the comfort only he could give. He could have raged and yelled; he could have blamed and insinuated, but Edward had done none of that. Instead he tried to ease their pain by speaking from the heart, and what a heart it was.

Yes, Seth had never been more proud.

The rest of the family looked on, almost in a stunned, shell-shocked state. There was tears from every last one of them along with plenty of self-recriminations. How could they not feel shamed at their behavior, at some of the things they'd all thought and said over the years when Edward had acted out? Every time Jasper cursed his best friend for his obstinacy; every time Rose blamed him for hurting Emmett; every time Charlie wondered whether Edward deserved his daughter caused each of them, and the others as they wrestled with their own misgivings, great amounts of heartache.

Isabella couldn't move, she just continued to rub circles on Edward's back and continued to cry softly. It hadn't been easier to hear the second time than the first, though she was proud to admit, she'd handled it much better than she had the other night. That was just...yeah, something she didn't want to relive ever again if she could help it. Finally, once it had appeared that Edward had gotten control of himself as had Esme, Carlisle, and Emmett, Edward sat up and disentangled himself from the numerous arms around him and settled back into the ones he needed more than any others.

"Beautiful," he said in a hoarse voice as he looked at her and wiped the tears from beneath his eyes with the backs of his hands.

Paying no heed to anything but him, Isabella pulled him up so that they were sitting on the couch and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She somehow managed to find her way to his lap and the two of them whispered words back and forth that only they could hear.

"I love you."

"Thank you."

"I'm so proud of you."

"You're my reason...for everything."

Words that soothed. Words that reinforced. Words that healed.

Words that meant...everything.

After a time, Edward became aware of the sounds of everyone else in the room and picked up his head to look at all of them. Surprisingly, he wasn't embarrassed by his breakdown though he did regret that having the others witness it had caused them pain. Once his eyes found his Isabella's, he kissed her gently on the forehead, whispering, "I'm okay," before scooting her off his lap. He slowly stood up, feeling his whole body ache, while at the same time noticing how much lighter and freer he felt at the same time.

It was unbelievable, really, but one glance toward the corner and into the face of his guardian angel, told him everything he needed to know.

He was finally...almost...free from the past that had haunted him for so very long.

Once he sat back down on the sofa with Isabella on one side of him and Esme on the other, along with Carlisle who had one hand in Esme's and the other around Emmett, who had been joined by Rosalie, he finished his painful story.

"Of course, that was the last thing she said to me and she died on her next breath. I could only stare at her lifeless body. I don't even know how long I sat there until I finally realized I needed to call 999. The paramedics came and took her away and the police took me away. I don't even know how they managed to contact you two; I can only remember a handful of times when she even mentioned you, but when you showed up at that home, I had no idea why you were there. I was just...numb. I didn't speak for days, not until you guys arrived, and even then I remember hardly talking. I just...couldn't," Edward said with a sad shake of his head.

Esme held onto Edward's hand, too afraid to let go and wholly unable to speak. She had so many things to tell him, to ask him, but every time she opened her mouth to say something, the words got stuck in her throat. Nothing she could say would ever be enough to make up for all the mistakes she had made but if it was the last thing she did, Edward would never go another day without knowing how much she loved him, how much she had always loved him and how sorry she was...for everything.

The others in the room shifted nervously, and each and every one of them wondered what to do, what to say. Thankfully, as he was quite prone to do, Emmett relieved the tension when he began to chuckle, though when he looked up at everyone, he had to wipe the tears out of his eyes to see.

"Em?" Edward questioned with raised eyebrows.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders but gave his brother what he hoped was a genuine smile. Inside he still felt like he was falling apart, but he wanted, needed, to do something to lessen the stifling atmosphere in the room, if only to give Edward a much needed break from the sorrow.

"I was just remembering the first Christmas you spent with us and the fact that the only thing you wanted was some book on the Industrial Revolution of all fucking things," Emmett said with a grin. "There I was asking for a new stereo for my room and new video games to play and you asked for a damn book."

"Yeah, well, maybe we should have traded presents. I'm sure I could have afforded to lighten up a bit," Edward said with a smirk.

"Under-fucking-statement of the century, my brother," Emmett teased him back with all the love he had.

Isabella stretched her neck so she could reach his cheek and when she did, she pressed a few soft kisses along his skin. She could feel his cheek lift with his smile and her heart leapt with the relief she felt that he had made it this far and was still, seemingly, holding it together. Oh, she had no doubt that they would all need some time to absorb what he told them and to deal with what he'd gone through, but the first and hardest step had been taken.

Edward took a few tension relieving breaths to try to get himself under control. Thankfully Emmett's attempt to lighten the mood worked and Edward felt marginally better; things had seemed to level out. He didn't want to move, but he needed to. He needed some air and a moment away from everyone to try to put his thoughts in order.  
"Isabella, love, I'm going to step outside for a moment. I need...I just need some air," he said softly. He hoped she understood he wasn't pulling away and he certainly hoped she knew he needed her more than anything, but he just needed a few moments by himself…to just be.

"I'll be here when you're ready to come back inside. I love you, Edward," she told him quietly as she lifted her hand and pushed his hair back from his forehead.

He reached up and took her hand and pulled it to his mouth so that he could press a gentle, warm kiss to the inside of her wrist. "As I love you, always, Beautiful. I'll only be a few minutes," he whispered and then got up, bent over and kissed the top of her head, and then walked out onto the back patio.

Isabella waited until she heard the soft click of the door when he closed it behind him before she hung her head. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths so that she wouldn't start crying. There had been plenty of that and she didn't want to make things any harder for him than she needed to.

"Bambola, baby, are you okay?" Charlie asked as he moved to sit next to her.

Isabella shook her head, but didn't look up. She really wasn't okay and there was no point lying about it, especially to her father. He'd know she wasn't telling the truth the moment she looked at him anyway.

Finally, she did pick her head up and said, "But I... _we_ will be." The tone of her voice left no room for anyone to doubt the veracity of her words.

"Damn straight you will, Bella, both of you," Alec said and he stood up on very shaky legs.

For the past hour he'd wanted to go to her, to check on her and make sure she was okay but he couldn't. It wasn't his place and he knew and accepted that. But now he could, and he was going to.

He knelt in front of her and rubbed the tops of her hands with his and waited until she lifted her eyes to his. "You hanging in there, honey?"

Isabella gave him a small, but genuine smile. "I'll be okay, Alec."

"I know this is a really stupid fucking question, but is there anything we can do for you two, anything you need?" he asked, wanting so very badly to do something, anything, to help ease their pain.

Isabella looked at him and then lifted one of her hands and placed it on top of his. "Just time, Alec. I know you all," she said quietly and then turned to look at everyone else in the room, "have more questions for him, but please, just let him come to terms with telling you all what he has so far before you bombard him with the rest of the things you want to know. Carlisle, Esme, Em, Rose, I know the six of us need to talk and we will, but for the rest of you, just...try not to push him more than he's pushed himself already."

"Of course, baby," Renée said as she sat with her arm wrapped around Nonna. "You two take all the time you need, we'll all be here when you need us."

Isabella leaned forward and kissed Alec on the cheek before she raced across the room and into the arms of her mother and Nonna. She needed her Mama and Nonna, and before long, Charlie had joined them on the couch as the Swan family came together as one. Edward had rightly been everyone's focus for the entire evening, but when Isabella's soft cries could be heard amongst the murmurings of her family, the rest of them all looked nervously and a bit sheepishly at one another.

It seemed as if one by one they all came to some sort of silent agreement and slipped out of the living room and made their way to the kitchen where Esme needed to do something, so she fixed everyone a drink.

While Isabella and her parents and Nonna spoke softly among themselves, and Esme, Carlisle and the others occupied themselves as well, Edward walked toward the shadows of the patio because he knew as soon as he was out of sight from everyone inside, Seth would be making an appearance.

He wasn't wrong.

"Edward Anthony, are you all right?" the angel asked immediately.

He had so many other things he wanted to say to his human, but first and foremost he needed to be assured Edward was okay, or as okay as anyone could expect.

"I have no idea," Edward answered without thinking, though it was the truth.

In all honesty, he did feel better, but there was still a huge hole in his chest from having to relive that time again, hear his mother's words again, not to mention knowing that he still needed to confront Carlisle and Esme. His mother had already had to endure so much tonight, learning horrible things about her own sister that she could never have imagined. He hated thinking he was going to add to her pain, but it had to be done. They'd all come too far not to put an end to all the anger and distance.

He wanted his family back.

"I'm so damn proud of you," Seth said quietly, well, as quietly as he was capable of at any rate.

Edward ran his hands over his face a few times before turning to look at the angel. Seth did indeed look inordinately pleased with him, and Edward was a bit shocked at how much that meant to him, how happy that made him.

"Thanks," Edward said, though it was a bit uneasily. Yeah, he was glad the angel was proud of him; he just wasn't all that inclined to let him know how much.

The all-knowing being regarded his charge for a few moments before he spoke again. "I know there is one last bridge to cross, though I have no doubt you'll be able to. You've done so well, Edward, and I know, even though you don't want to admit it to me, that you're proud of yourself as well and you should be. The gift you've given your family and friends, I can't even put into words how much you've given them and we both know I know A LOT of words," Seth teased with an impish grin.

Edward snorted, choosing not to answer either observation. He didn't need to. There was no reason to give the smug being anything else to gloat about.

He was exhausted, utterly fucking spent, and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and think of nothing besides making love to his extraordinary wife. She'd been nothing short of incredible for the last few days; she always was incredible to his way of thinking of course, but even more so than before. Isabella was without question the strongest person he had ever known.

"I'm just ready to have the night be over," Edward said wearily.

"It almost is, Edward. Just finish what you started and then bask in the glow of the love and peace you have fought so hard for. I'll be around if you need me, but I have a feeling once you finish your discussion with your parents, my service won't be needed nor wanted for a bit," the cheeky angel said with a wink then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered under his breath, though he chuckled as he said it.

Taking a deep breath to try to brace himself for yet another painful discussion, he opened the door to go back inside.

Isabella had pulled herself together after being allowed to fall apart in the arms of her family and as soon as she heard the click of the door alerting her that Edward had come back inside, she rushed to meet him before he'd taken more than a step.

"Edward, sweetheart, are you okay?" she worriedly asked as she threw her arms around him.

Edward sighed against her, letting her touch calm the worry he was afraid was going to overwhelm him. "I will be, love. How about you, are you hanging in there? I know how hard this has been for you as well," he asked as he brushed her hair back behind her ear and gently trailed the back of his finger along her cheek. "You're so beautiful," he said before he could stop himself.

Her eyes were rimmed with red and were swollen, her face was splotchy, and the tip of her nose was still pink, but he had never thought she looked more beautiful than she did right then. He knew it was due to the fact of what she'd done for him, but that didn't negate the fact that just the sight of her left him breathless.

"I love you," he said softly and then because he needed to, he kissed her.

He completely relaxed against her little, warm body and enjoyed the feel of her pressed against him, her hands in his hair, and the way her tongue felt as it massaged his. When their kisses turned to little more than pecks, he smiled against her lips.

"Can we go upstairs yet?" he asked lightly, and he was only kidding, well, partly.

"Whenever you're ready," she answered him back, and she wasn't kidding at all.

If he was done for the night, she wouldn't push him to keep going. He'd done so much, said so much already, that she would support him no matter what he decided. Stop for now or go on; it was completely up to him.

"Let's get this done and behind both of us. Next time I make love to you, I want nothing between us and I'm not just talking about you being naked either, though that's always wanted. I'm ready to just...be me, no holding back, no hiding, just me and you," he told her as he linked their fingers together.

"Sounds perfect," Isabella sighed and squeezed his hand.

Charlie looked up when the two came back into the living room. Poor Edward looked like he'd been through the wringer. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was standing on end and he had dark circles under his eyes, but in spite of all that, the man looked like a thousand pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He always looked at his baby girl like she was a priceless work of art, but the way he looked at her now, well, he didn't have the words to describe it.

He was a fair man, prided himself on that every day, but the feelings of anger and rage he had burning inside of him for the people Edward had as parents, well, it was a damn good thing they were dead, Charlie thought with gritted teeth. In his most humble opinion, death was too easy for the two of them. They'd damn near destroyed Edward, and for that, he was angrier than he had ever been in his life.

He was so damn proud of Edward for having the courage to share his horrendous story with all of them, and like everyone else, thought it explained so much about him. He was truly honored to have Edward as a son, as part of their family and to be able to call him a friend as well. It was all Charlie had ever wanted both for his incredible daughter and for himself as well.

"Edward, son," Charlie said as he stood up when Edward approached. The rest of what he wanted to say died in his throat because as soon as he got close enough, Charlie pulled him in for a fierce hug.

Edward tightly closed his eyes, and though they burned from the tears that wanted to spill out, he managed to hold them all in; all but a few wayward ones that seeped out. He let himself be comforted by the man he respected more than any other and nodded his head while Charlie whispered in his ear.

"I love you, son, so damn much. If you need anything, ask and it's yours, always, okay? I'm so proud of you," Charlie told him and his own voice shook while he patted Edward on the back and then stepped back enough to pull him down so he could kiss the top of his head. "You going to be okay?" he asked after he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, I will," Edward answered with a smile.

"Good to hear. I still need to pay you back for the ass kicking you gave me on the golf course last time we played." Charlie chuckled and then downright laughed when his daughter stared at him with her mouth wide open.

"Bambola, stop looking at your old man like that. I can still keep up with you kids," he said and ruffled her hair.

"You...Edward...played golf...without me?" she asked and glared at the both of them.

"Aw shit, Edward. We're both in trouble now. Sorry, baby girl, we did. I'll take you both on next time, how's that sound?" Charlie asked with a wink.

Edward was so grateful for the lightening of the mood and gave his wife a sexy smile. "You think you can beat me, Beautiful?" he teased.

"You bet your ass I can - both of you. Fine, we'll play next week and then we'll see who has the last laugh," Isabella said as she looked from Edward to her father.

"And on that note, we're going to give you two sometime with Edward's family," Charlie said and wrapped an arm around each of them. "We love you both," he said simply, because other words weren't necessary.

"Thank you, Charlie. Love you, too," Edward told him and heard Isabella say the same thing.

With that, they were passed from Charlie to Renée, to Nonna and then the others followed Charlie's cue. There were more tears, plenty more hugs and kisses, and more affirmations of support. Once the door shut behind Alec and Marcus, the six people left all looked at one another. There was still so much left to say but it seemed as if no one had a clue as to where to begin.

Edward took the moment of uneasy silence and used it to look toward the corner where he knew Seth was watching and waiting.

"Ask them what you want to know, Edward. You deserve the answers you've been too afraid to ask for all this time. Get it all out, all the anger and bitterness, the fear and the regret; just let it all go, once and for all," Seth told him gently but urgently. "Don't be afraid any longer. You can do this."

"Don't leave me," Edward implored.

Seth beamed lovingly at him and said simply, "Never."

Edward nodded once and then took a deep breath before he asked, looking straight at Carlisle, "Why did you agree to take me in if you never wanted me in the first place?"

"Edward...what...no," Carlisle sputtered as he tripped over his words.

Edward and Isabella had taken their seat back on the ottoman and with his free hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose while he hung his head. He picked it back up and then shook it saying, "Carlisle, I'm tired of the bullshit. This is hard enough without you keeping up a charade you've had going on for twenty years now. Let's be honest, for once, and get things out in the open. Please."

Carlisle swallowed convulsively a few times trying to get his throat to work so he could say something...anything. He felt like an anvil had just been dropped on his chest it hurt so badly. His mind worked furiously as he tried to figure out what could have possibly given Edward the idea he never wanted him. He knew he had much to make up for, but not for one moment did he ever imagine Edward believed he hadn't been wanted. He could feel Esme shaking beside him and heard her mutter "oh, no, oh, no," over and over again as she held her hand over her heart and rocked back and forth.

"Son," Carlisle said and let the tears fall, unchecked, over his face until they fell off his chin and splashed silently on the floor. "I know I've made mistakes, a hell of a lot of them, but never, ever for one moment have I not wanted you, not loved you. If it takes until my last dying breath, I'll do everything in my power to make up to you all the things I've done wrong, but please, _please_ , believe me when I tell you, I've always wanted you with this family."

Edward snorted loudly and shook his head. Instead of the words making him feel better they made him, if it was possible, even angrier and more bitter than before. He'd poured his heart out; he laid all his secrets and hurts on the proverbial table for all to see. He'd left nothing out, spared nothing, and all he wanted, needed, was to finally get some answers and Carlisle was still lying to him.

Well, fuck that...to hell and back.

He stood up quickly, after he squeezed Isabella's shoulder and faced the man who claimed to love him. "Stop fucking lying to me!" he raged. "I know you never wanted me! Why can't you just admit it and then you can stop trying to pretend that you care. Why wasn't I ever good enough for you?" he asked in a voice raw with all his pent up hurt and bitterness. Defeated, he sat back down next to Isabella as silent tears fell from his eyes. He held his head in his hands as he bent forward at the waist. Barely able talk now that he'd asked the question he'd held inside for twenty years, he choked out, "Why couldn't you love me like I needed you to?"

Fighting every instinct she had to scream and yell at Carlisle for hurting Edward the way he had, Isabella stayed seated on the ottoman as her heart shattered while she watched her husband ask, demand, for answers that he very much deserved.

She had never loved him more.

Esme cried out and made a move to get up off the sofa but Carlisle held her back with a shake of his head. He flew from his seat and sank to the floor in front of Edward. He reached for his face and held it between his hands, lifting it so he could look him in the eyes. He was a complete and utter failure as a father; he didn't deserve to ever be forgiven for his past actions and he accepted that. Edward had been hurt so much, more than anyone should have had to suffer, and he was putting an end to it...now.

If Edward wanted him out of his life, he'd go. If he wanted to hit and scream at him, he'd take it all, every blow every word, he'd take, willingly, if he could ease even the smallest bit of Edward's pain.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," Carlisle choked out, barely able to speak, but he made sure to use his full name for reinforcement of what he was about to say. It was something he should have said a long, long time ago. "I love you; I've always loved you, as much as if you were my own flesh and blood. I'm so damn sorry, more than I can ever tell you, that I've let my own foolish, stubborn pride get in the way of being the father you've needed. You've deserved so much more than I've given you and trust me when I say, it is the thing I am most ashamed of in my life. I've failed you, failed this family, and by doing so, caused you so much unnecessary pain," he sobbed, almost uncontrollably. "I'm sorry...so damn sorry," he repeated over and over again.

Edward stared at him through his tears, feeling very much like the fourteen-year-old version of himself. All the anxiety, all the fear, all the doubt swirled around in his mind and he barely heard himself whisper, "But I heard what you said."

Carlisle heard him though, as did everyone else in the room. In tandem they all gasped, the ramifications of what he'd just said settled heavily over them all.

"Edward, I don't know what you're talking about, but I promise I never said anything like that, not ever," Carlisle said, still holding onto his face.

"I heard it though. I did," Edward answered him and even to his own ears he could hear the hesitation and questioning tone of his voice.

Esme couldn't bear to hear anymore and she was more confused than she'd ever been in her life, so she knelt on the floor between her husband and son. "Edward, please dear, tell us what you heard," she beseeched with a tremulous voice.

Edward took one look at Isabella, at the eyes that held an unending supply of love and faith for and in him, and took a deep breath. He was about to let go of twenty years of pent up feelings and resentment and honestly, he wasn't all that sure how he felt about it all. Sure he wanted to be free of it, but it had been his buffer, his security blanket for the majority of his life. How was he going to act when it was gone? Questions he probably should have asked himself a long time ago, but truthfully, he never thought he'd get to this place.

Ever.

Carlisle lowered his hands and then on aching legs managed to stand up, helping Esme as well. They sat on the sofa and both faced Edward once more.

"Edward, tell me what you heard, please. Let's put everything behind us and move forward, as a family. Please," Carlisle entreated.

Sighing, Edward looked off to the distance and remembered with vivid clarity that day so many, many years ago and began to speak in a quiet voice. "It was just a few days after I'd gotten here and I still hadn't said very much. I'd met Grandfather and Helen and everyone was still adjusting to everything. Well, except for Emmett." Edward chuckled and then grinned at his brother across from him where he sat with Rose on the loveseat.

"Anyway," he went on, "I kept hearing you and Mother whispering back and forth, which you can understand now made me nervous and scared, because I kept thinking you were trying to figure out a way to send me back or something. Looking back on it now, I know that wasn't the case, but back then, I had no idea. All of a sudden both of my parents were dead, and you two came and pretty much just took over. I had a new name, new parents, and was whisked off to live in a new country, with a whole different family. I was overwhelmed and afraid, still dealing with the deaths of my parents and then all of that other stuff at the same time."

"Oh, Edward, sweetheart, we didn't know...I didn't realize," Esme said softly and full of remorse.

Edward shrugged his shoulders at her, not knowing what exactly to say to her because there was more he needed to say.

"I still couldn't figure out why you wanted me, because my own parents didn't. My own mother wanted to die rather than stay with me, so I kept thinking at any point, if I did anything wrong or anything to upset anyone, I'd just be sent away. After I did what I did with the posters in my room, I was so scared. Every time I heard Mother crying, I figured it was my fault. The two of you were standing in Carlisle's study and I was passing by; Esme was crying again and I heard...I heard you say," Edward said with a shaky voice, "Darling, I hate that you are hurting this much and in this much agony. If we didn't have to bring him here, then you wouldn't be like this. His presence is causing you so much heartache."

The words caused Carlisle to wrap his arms around his stomach as he tried, almost without succeeding, to keep from throwing up. He was sick, positively wracked with pain and guilt and an overwhelming sense of a regret so profound, he couldn't breathe. He started hyperventilating as he tried to speak...without being able to. Finally after a few very raw, aching breaths he managed to say, "Oh, Edward, son...I'm so sorry," and tried to figure out a way to fix the mess he'd made so long ago.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Deep breath, because we're almost through everything. I'm sorry if you feel like I ended this chapter in a bad spot, but I couldn't find a stopping point that made me happy so this was my concession. I know you all are anxious to get to that last discussion with Carlisle and Esme, and so do I. I am not a fan of dragging things out, contrary to the last two chapters, but I hope once we get to next week, you'll be very happy with the way things have played out!**

**Maggie...I know there are going to be A LOT of strong feelings about her, as there should be. I also hope you can see now, why Edward has held himself back for so long and why he's been so terrified of being close to anyone. Keep hanging in there with me, okay? I promise you'll get the answers to all your questions, at least that is my intention and keep believing in a Happily Ever After! I PROMISE I have a plan!**

***Disclaimer! The Emergency # in Ireland is 999**

**So, next chapter will give you the answers in regards to Carlisle and Esme. I have to tell you, of everything I've ever written, Chapter 24 is my absolute favorite...by far. So keep the tissues handy, you're not done with them yet!**

**Bonus scene this week—I am going to show you Charlie, Renee, and Nonna on their drive home. Charlie, as you can guess, has PLENTY to say. So if you want to read it, review and I'll send you the bonus scene on Wednesday. If you need any of the prior bonus scenes, just email me at les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**Voting is open in the Let the Games Begin contest I submitted a Soccerward O/S for. I know the subject matter isn't for everyone because it's Edward/Jasper slash but if you want to vote for me anyway...and I would appreciate it so much...or just take a peek at at it, you can go here:**

**www(.)fanfiction(.)net/u/2719275/**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh, and for those of you who have been retweeting my Chapter updates and such, thank you so much! That means a lot and I hope you'll keep it up!**

**Thank you for continuing to have such faith in me...I promise I have a plan and I do promise to give Edward, Isabella...and you all a HEA! Keep the faith, okay?**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one hurt...A LOT!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, J'me, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost. This chapter is...well, it's what this story is about and I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Now, is everyone ready? Tissues...I've been told...need to be at the ready, so grab them and let's go shall we? Seriously, this is my favorite chapter ever...just saying!**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 24**

Edward sighed; he really didn't expect much else from the man that claimed to be his father. He'd lived this long without one anyway, and besides - he had Charlie. He honestly figured he was ahead of the game in that respect.

There wasn't anyone he knew that was a better man.

"Well, now at least I know where I stand," Edward began, relieved to be beside someone he knew loved him with all her heart.

"Edward, please...wait," Carlisle implored as he reached out and grabbed Edward's wrist. "You don't understand," he said and then frowned when Edward shook his head at him.

Carlisle recalled that conversation like it was yesterday, even though it had been so, so long ago. Esme had been almost beside herself because she was so riddled with guilt that she couldn't even speak and he'd done what he'd always done when it came to his beloved; he wanted to protect her as only he knew how.

"I'm not stupid, Carlisle. I know what I heard and judging from your reaction, it's obviously what you said, so let's not pretend that you didn't say it. I get it, you never wanted me, so now that I know that, we can just...shit I don't know, ignore each other or some fucking thing," he trailed off.

He didn't raise his voice or anything like that, but the bitter and defeated tone he did use was even more painful for everyone to hear.

Isabella started to get up and lead him away because honestly, if she didn't leave the room, she was very likely to say something she most definitely would NOT regret.

Carlisle stood up and faced his son. "Edward, you didn't hear the whole conversation. Please let me explain," he begged anxiously.

Carlisle knew that if Edward wouldn't even listen to him, wouldn't let him explain what he'd said all those years ago, there was no hope to repair their relationship. He was painfully aware of how hearing what he did had affected Edward, twenty years of distance more than proved that, but there was so much he didn't understand.

Huffing, Edward reached for Isabella's hand, needing her touch more than he could express and then bit out, "Fine."

He wasn't sure there was anything Carlisle could say that would make him understand what he'd heard, but for the sake of at least making one last effort, he'd listen.

Carlisle let out the breath he'd been holding and began to pace in front of everyone. Much like Edward felt earlier he struggled with how to begin, but out of respect for how courageous Edward had been with all of them he decided it was well past time to lay it all out there, so that was what he was going to do.

His family deserved it.

"When we arrived in Ireland and I saw you for the first time, you were so scared, so withdrawn, and my heart just broke for you. We'd learned enough from the police to know that things had been bad, though we had no idea they had been as horrific as they were. I don't mean this to sound like an excuse, but son, when we took you in, your mother and I were both still inexperienced when it came to being parents and neither of us had any idea how to help you. The best thing I thought we could do for you was get you out of that place as soon as possible, whatever it took. I even asked my father for help. Looking back on it, I can see, especially knowing what I do now, how traumatic and just plain terrifying that all must have seemed to you. You didn't know us because Maggie had cut off all her ties with Esme and the rest of her family. You'd just lost...your parents," he struggled to say.

Lord knew neither Maggie nor Liam deserved the description, but that was a conversation Carlisle would have to save for another time. Explaining to Edward and earning his forgiveness was all he cared about at the moment.

"You'd just lost Liam and Maggie," he amended. "We whisked you away from the only home you'd ever known, from the only place you'd ever lived without even thinking about what it was doing to you. You'd barely spoken for days by the time we arrived so no one really understood how much you'd been through. Seeing you so completely broken kept us from pushing you for answers because we didn't want to upset you any more than you were already. I know we both figured when you were ready, you'd come to us, never thinking it would take twenty years."

Carlisle paced back and forth, trying to keep himself from falling apart. Facing the avalanche of mistakes both he and Esme, as well as William, though he wasn't here to see the ramifications of what he'd done, had made was the most agonizing thing he'd ever done. Mistake after mistake after excruciating mistake flooded his mind and he was almost brought to his knees by the weight of all the guilt he felt.

And, he wasn't even done yet. Not even close.

"Edward," Esme said in a raw, thick voice. She waited for Edward to look at her before she began. As much as she loved her husband and was grateful for him stepping up to the plate so to speak, she wasn't going to allow him to do it alone. She had as much, if not more, to be sorry for, to beg forgiveness for, as Carlisle did. Like Carlisle, she was more than ready to face whatever consequences her actions brought. Edward had suffered too much to let it go on any longer.

She prayed that he would allow them to be a part of his life, but she was leaving the decision solely up to him.

"Darling," she began again slowly. "Like Carlisle said, when we arrived in Ireland, all we wanted to do was help you, and just so you know, it's never been because we felt like we had to, but because we wanted to. I may have been estranged from my sister, may not have known a thing about her or her life, but that has never meant that I haven't loved you from the moment I knew you were born. You're a part of my sister, which makes you a part of me.

"Finding out she was dead, that she had killed herself, though I didn't know the reasons back then, was devastating. I blamed myself for not trying harder to stay in contact with her, for letting her distance herself from her family, from me. I had convinced myself that if I had only done more, I could have somehow saved her. You came into our lives under the most awful of circumstances, but neither Carlisle nor I have ever regretted it, Edward. Not for one minute," she said as her chin quivered.

Edward exhaled through his nose and squeezed Isabella's hand. She was grinding her teeth together, he could hear it, and judging from her rigid posture beside him, he knew she was every bit as frustrated as he was. The explanations were needed and they did give him a clearer picture of what it must have been like for Carlisle and Esme all those years ago, but there were still so many answers he needed.

Honestly, he'd been so focused for so long on his own hurts and anger, he'd never really stopped to think about what was like for two of them when they took him in. He'd been difficult, he could admit that, and so very different from Emmett that it was no wonder they'd been at a loss as to how to help him. It didn't really excuse the fact that they hadn't tried very hard though, but it did help explain...to a degree anyway.

"That still doesn't explain what I heard," Edward retorted, refusing to acknowledge anything else that was said, at least until he got the answers he wanted and needed.

A heavy sigh escaped Carlisle's mouth, one that was full of regret, and he sat down beside his wife on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her slumped shoulders, holding her tight. "Son," Carlisle began with some hesitation. "Esme is the love of my life and I would do anything to protect her and keep her from harm. When she is sad, it breaks my heart. Your grandfather didn't make things easy for us, in fact he did his damnedest to make things as difficult as he could. My whole life was spent failing to meet his expectations, but never more so than when I chose to marry Esme. I'd already disappointed him so much by not embracing Cullen Publishing the way he wanted me to, and then to marry someone that couldn't give him the heir he so desperately wanted, made him...well an even more heartless son of a bitch it seemed to me. By the time you came into our lives, I'd spent so much time trying to protect her from my father's cruel words and harsh demeanor, it was second nature to me to come to her defense, for lack of a better way to say it. It wasn't your presence that I upset about, Edward, it was watching her beat herself up and the fact that not only could I not do anything to help her, I knew that no matter how happy we were that you were here with us, it only served as a daily reminder to her that she'd failed her sister, or so I knew she believed."

Edward felt every ounce of air leave his body in one fell swoop, leaving him feeling lightheaded. His breath was coming in short, sharp bursts and all the blood had rushed to his head, or at least it felt like it.

"Oh, no," he heard Isabella mutter beside him and he sagged against her.

"Beautiful...I...all this time...how could I?" he whispered to her, though everyone heard him.

Isabella turned and faced him and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "Sweetheart, stop. You had no way of knowing about Carlisle and Esme's difficulties with your grandfather. How could you? You'd only just met them and were still dealing with so much. You didn't do anything wrong, Edward," she told him, meaning it completely.

He may have misunderstood, but there wasn't anyone that could fault him for that.

"But, I shouldn't have...I could have," he disagreed and shook his head.

The look of total devastation on his face about broke her heart, if it was even possible for it to break any more, but what could she tell him? The realization that something as seemingly innocuous as a comment not meant for anyone but Esme could have started the whole snowball effect of systematically destroying their family was almost too much to take. Apparently everyone else thought the same thing, judging from the looks on all their faces.

Isabella scooted closer to him, as close as she could get and reached for his hands so she could pull them into her lap. She was sure that Carlisle and Esme each had things they needed to tell him, but they were going to have to wait. She wasn't inclined to be too accommodating anyway. Not before and certainly not after what she'd just heard. She knew she was going to be testing the limits of her faith and her belief in forgiveness as she came to terms with everyone that had done so much to hurt her Edward. It was a test she wasn't all that sure she could pass, especially as she looked at Edward. He was shaking his head and pulling on his hair in frustration and it killed her to see him have to suffer blow after blow after blow.

She knew she was a strong woman, but even the strongest could only endure so much and really, she was pretty sure she had taken about all she could take by this point. As for Edward, she was afraid he'd passed his limit long ago.

"Edward," Carlisle called to him while he still held on to Esme. When Edward turned toward him, he gasped at how haggard he looked, but Carlisle knew they needed to go on and get everything out in the open. "So that is why you pulled away even more, because you thought we didn't want you?"

Edward slowly nodded his head and in a scratchy voice said, "After living with my...with Liam and Maggie, I was so afraid of doing anything to upset either of you. Esme was crying all the time and I felt bad about that, like somehow it was my fault, then hearing you say what you did, I just figured you would send me back as soon as you could. I guess..." he said as he swallowed painfully, "I guess I thought if I stayed out of everyone's way, I could stay. I didn't want to go back to Ireland, at all, and staying where I thought I wasn't wanted was better than that."

"Sweetheart," Esme said with a shaky voice. "We always wanted you and any guilt or unhappiness I felt was due to my own mistakes and had nothing to do with you."

Edward had leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs and he snorted in agitation. "Pardon me for saying so, Mother, but that's bullshit. I may have misunderstood what you two were talking about but neither one of you ever tried to really get to know me. You left me alone. You didn't try to talk to me or help me. You just...ignored me...just like they did," he trailed off as he fought all the thoughts and feelings rushing through his mind.

"Edward, son...no! If you'll remember, almost as soon as you arrived, you and William started spending a lot of time together. You still didn't talk much but you seemed...I won't say happy, but maybe content?" Carlisle tried to explain.

"I wasn't happy or content, Carlisle, but spending time with Grandfather was better than nothing. I didn't think you really wanted me here; I had already upset Emmett, and I wasn't used to being in any type of family environment. William may not have been the easiest of people to be around, but at least he acted like he wanted to spend time with me. After being starved for any sort of attention from my parents, him showing an interest in me was...welcome. At fourteen, fifteen, and even as I got older, I probably didn't really realize what I needed or was doing, but now I can look back on it and I know I was just...searching for some sort of connection...to anyone," Edward said quietly but in a tone that certainly conveyed his anger and hurt.

He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he had promised himself and Isabella he would be honest and he intended to do so.

Seth and Gideon looked at one another as they watched from their corner of the room. Hearing Edward admit out loud to both Carlisle and Esme what he'd held inside for so long was as rewarding as it was painful. There was so much guilt floating around the room, the otherworldly beings with their supernatural abilities could almost see it. Like everyone else in the room though, they most definitely could feel it. It was like being in quicksand; every time you moved, you just got sucked farther and farther down, or maybe like being in the middle of the swamps of Louisiana where the humidity was so thick you could feel it every time you struggled to breathe. It was like an oppressive weight had settled over the Cullen family and right at the moment, neither Seth nor Gideon was at all sure how things were going to proceed.

Carlisle once again felt the painful lance to his heart as he processed Edward's words. Guilt was eating away at him. The more he heard from Edward, the more the insidious emotion obliterated him. He'd never felt like such a colossal failure as he did just then. Sure he'd known he'd made mistakes before, but to hear that Edward had been so starved for attention he'd latched on to the first person to show an interest in him made him positively sick.

He decided once and for all to say everything, to tell Edward all of what caused him to act the way he had. "Ah, Edward, I wish we could go back and start over, but we can't. Things between my father and I had been strained for so long that by the time you became a part of our family, we barely tolerated each other. I wasn't the son he wanted and he let me know that at every turn. I wanted him to accept me for me, not for who he wanted me to be. I think, when you arrived, he saw in you the child he always wanted. You were so smart, so willing to listen to him, that he took you under his wing so to speak. You and Emmett have always been so different, not that that is a bad thing, but for my father, Emmett's...exuberance just rubbed him the wrong way."

"Ain't that the truth?" Emmett said immediately. "That old man was one mean son of a bitch."

"He was. He was harsh, demanding, and unforgiving, and it saddens me more than you will ever know that I left your well-being to him, rather than to your mother and me, which is where it should have been. I was so...relieved," Carlisle shamefully went on, "that the two of you were spending time together while at the same time hating myself for feeling that way. I was relieved because as selfish as this is, it made it easier for Esme not to feel so guilty when you weren't in the house all the time. I wanted you here, but I wanted Esme happy, too. The longer it went on, the more...resentful and jealous I became, then the guilt would set in and then the vicious cycle would start all over again."

"I don't...understand. Why would you...be jealous...of me? I was only a kid for fuck's sake," Edward angrily asked.

Sighing and feeling his stomach twist in knots Carlisle faced his son. "Edward, I had spent years failing to live up to my father's expectations and in the blink of an eye, it seemed like he'd replaced me...with you. A part of me was jealous of the way it seemed you two had bonded. At the same time, I welcomed the fact that you spent so much time together because that lessened the guilt Esme felt by being around you. Admittedly, I must also say that though I now know this is very wrong, I assumed that if you didn't want to spend so much time with him or you needed us in any way, you would have said something. I've made so many mistakes, Edward. I don't even know what to say anymore because I'm sorry seems so damn inadequate."

Edward stood up and looked first toward Emmett, trying to let him know that his anger wasn't directed toward him. Turning, he faced Carlisle and Esme. "What do you want me to say, Carlisle? That everything is okay now that you've apologized? The hell with that!" he yelled and then pulled at his hair before going on. "I was fourteen fucking years-old...fourteen! I had just watched my mother die right before my eyes and just days before that found out that my father had been murdered more than likely. I get here and I'm in the middle of some sort of fucking situation I have no idea about. Everyone was dealing with all this shit and no one even talked about it. You were angry because Grandfather paid attention to me, but did you ever once stop to fucking think about what it felt like for me to have someone, finally, act like they wanted to be around me? Em, you were too young really to understand much of anything, but you two?" Edward accused as he glared at them, "what excuse do you have? I know you didn't know what my life was life before my parents died, but so what? You didn't try to find out, not once. I seemed like I was okay," Edward mocked as he repeated Carlisle's words, "so you both took the easy way out and just let me flounder. Can't you see?" he questioned with a shaking voice. "I had spent the first fourteen years of my life being completely ignored by the two people who were supposed to love me unconditionally, then I get here and one of the first things I hear is how much you hated that I had to come here? What the hell else was I supposed to think? I didn't need hugs and kisses; I wouldn't have known how to act with all that affection in the first place, but I needed to feel like I was wanted and I just...didn't. Not ever," he finished and hung his head.

Esme's not so soft cries filled the room and though Edward felt a moment's guilt at making her cry, he was too angry to offer her any comfort, at least just yet. When he'd shared what his childhood had been like with everyone, he was cognizant of trying to lessen the harsh reality of just how horrible it had been, tried to spare everyone from being more upset than they needed to be, but now? Now, when it was time for him to get the answers he'd been denied for so long, so far it felt like all he'd gotten was excuses.

He was well aware of how cold and aloof a man his grandfather had been, more so with the others than with him, but to his way of thinking, that really didn't justify their actions. The strain between himself and Emmett he could understand and was willing to take some if not most of the blame for. Emmett had been so young when Edward had arrived in Chicago, what could he possibly have known or done to help? By the time he'd gone off to college, Emmett was just barely starting high school and Edward was already being groomed to take over CP when the time came. The pattern of going through the motions and such had been long established by the time they were both old enough to know better, and Edward didn't blame Emmett in the least for not making more of an effort as far as he was concerned. He'd shut him out and pulled away enough times it was a wonder Emmett had been willing to offer him the second chance he did.

It was one he definitely wouldn't squander.

Carlisle and Esme were a different matter altogether, he thought with a heavy heart. He knew he had to forgive them, as much for himself as for them and for the sake of repairing their family. He was still very hurt and even more angry now that he allowed himself to feel and acknowledge things he'd kept buried for so long, but he knew that if he didn't forgive them, all hope was lost. The words Seth had told him so many times since he'd appeared kept playing over and over in his head and it was his hands the fate of his family rested in.

_"Your whole family's ability to lay the ghosts of the past finally and fully to rest lies with your willingness to forgive Esme and Carlisle for what they did and didn't do. You also must come to terms with the behavior of your parents and forgive them as well. As much as I would love to grant you the peace of mind I know you want by telling you all this can be done, I'm afraid I can't do that, Edward. Only you can decide if you've had enough and are ready to move forward with your family by your side."_

Somehow, on some level deep inside his subconscious, he'd always known that it was up to him to fix things. He wasn't sure why and up until the appearance of the annoying but very loving angel, he never wanted to think about what that meant, but since the very first moment Seth made his presence known Edward knew what was ultimately going to need to be done.

The Edward Cullen that Seth first encountered all those weeks ago wasn't the real him, not even close. It was a persona developed over time to protect himself from getting hurt again. From feeling like he wasn't wanted or needed. From feeling like he wasn't worthy.

He wasn't the cold, distant man most people assumed he was. He wasn't uncaring or unfeeling. He wasn't arrogant or selfish and he was tired of people thinking he was all those things and more. He was ready to show the world who the real Edward Cullen was and now that there were no more secrets, nothing standing in the way, he was going to do just that, with Isabella rightfully by his side.

He had no idea how much time he had left, but it didn't really matter. One day, one week, month, year...or fifty years or more...it didn't matter. He was going to live each day loving his wife and his family and being the man he was always destined to be.

As soon as that thought entered his mind the feeling that he'd experienced on the plane flowed through him again, the same warmth, the same peace, the same sense of love and joy, only it was magnified many times over. Again, he had no idea what it meant or why it was happening, nor did he try to figure it out. He simply closed his eyes and let it fill him, let it work its magic and heal all the scars and hurts buried deep within him.

He was ready to be the real Edward Cullen.

Seth and Gideon looked at each other and smiled. As heavenly beings they were able to see the power of forgiveness and grace and as they watched it heal Edward, Gideon patted Seth on the shoulder.

"I have never been more proud or more in awe of you, Seth," he told him. "You've saved him."

"Edward saved himself as well as the rest of them. There is still work to be done, but the hardest part is over," Seth said as he beamed at Edward.

"You okay?" Seth asked him when Edward finally opened his eyes and looked in his direction. He knew Edward couldn't see Gideon, but he had to ask how he was doing.

"I will be," Edward answered with a smile.

"Yes, you will," Seth answered with a nod of his head.

"Thank you," Edward said, and hoped the angel knew how much he meant that.

"Believe me when I say, it's been my greatest pleasure...and well, kind of my job, too," the cheeky angel replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Edward hung his head and chuckled, deeming that comment not worth a reply. When he looked up, Seth was gone and he muttered a quick, "Damn angel," before turning toward his parents.

"Edward, son, do you think...will you ever...can you forgive us?" Carlisle asked as soon as Edward looked at him.

Edward walked to where Isabella was still seated on the ottoman and sat down beside her. He took her hand in his and linked their fingers together. He reached his other hand up and cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across her skin reverently while he stared into her eyes. Then he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss of thanks to her forehead before turning toward Carlisle and Esme.

"I've been offered a second chance by Isabella to be the husband she deserves," he began in a rough, but sure voice. "I've been offered a second chance to be the brother and brother-in-law Emmett and Rose deserve," he continued when he flashed the two of them a smile. "I've been offered a second chance to be the friend Jasper, Alec, and Marcus deserve as well, so it would be incredibly hypocritical of me not to offer you both the same consideration. I've made my own mistakes and I'm sorry for them, so if you'll forgive me, I think it's time to lay the past to rest and start acting like the family we are. It's going to take some time to get past everything, but I want to, I'm ready, if you both are, too."

"Oh, Edward, thank you!" Esme cried out before she sprang up from her seat on the couch.

Edward stood and hugged her when she threw her arms around him and sobbed against his chest. "Shh, Mother," he told her after a time.

"I love you, Edward, so much," she told him as she looked up at him and held his face in her hands.

"I...I love you, too," Edward choked out. It had been so long since he'd said those words to her, but he meant them nonetheless.

Carlisle approached warily, but very grateful. "Edward?" he questioned when he stopped beside him.

Edward released his mother and turned to face his...father. Carlisle held his hand out, hoping that Edward would take it. Edward stared at the offered hand for a second before shocking both himself and Carlisle by ignoring it and pulling him in for a hug instead.

"I'm so damn sorry, Edward," Carlisle whispered as he squeezed his arms tighter around his son.

"Me, too," Edward answered back.

Both men continued to stand there for a few more moments before Carlisle pulled back. "I love you and I'm so proud of you, I've always been. I hope one day you'll know how much," Carlisle told him before pulling Edward's head down. He kissed the top of his head and then turned toward Isabella.

"You have shown all of us what the true meaning of unconditional love is. I hope one day you can forgive me as well. I'm sorry for not being the father-in-law you deserve but I hope you'll allow me to do my best to make that up to you. I'm honored to have you for a daughter, Isabella, and am so proud to have you as a part of this family," Carlisle told her and didn't try to stop the tears that came once more.

Isabella stood up beside her husband and looked at both Esme and Carlisle. "Like Edward said, it's time to move forward, together, as a family," she said to them both.

"Thank you, dear," Carlisle responded gratefully. He stepped forward and waited until she moved forward as well before he gave her a tight hug. "I love you, both of you, so very much. I promise to show you every day and earn your forgiveness."

"Carlisle, you don't have to earn it, it has already been given," Isabella said as she stepped backward out of his arms. "There has been enough of people feeling unworthy going on in this family to last a life time. Let's just work on healing and going forward without anyone feeling like they have to do anything. Love is given, it's not earned."

He nodded at his oh so wise daughter-in-law and wrapped an arm around Esme. Emmett and Rose had joined the circle and Carlisle couldn't help but smile at everyone. "This, this is what you've given us, Edward. Thank you," he told his amazing son, hoping he could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"So this is what a family group hug is supposed to feel like. Huh?" Emmett said after a moment and everyone groaned and then laughed at him.

"Emmett, only you, brother," Edward said with a shake of his head.

Emmett had been very quiet during the evening as he tried to absorb all he'd heard. He had no doubt that once he was home with Rosie everything he'd held inside would spill out, but he wasn't leaving until he said something he'd wanted to say all night. "I love you, Edward. I know I may not have acted like it very much over the years, but I'm so thankful you are my brother."

Unlike with Esme and Carlisle, there was no hesitation at all when Edward stepped forward to hug Emmett. "I love you, too, Emmett, so fucking much. I'm so sorry for pushing you away for all this time."

"It's okay," Emmett told him as he sniffed to keep from crying. "You are the strongest man I know, Edward. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all over again."

"Me, too. I couldn't have asked for a better brother...or friend," Edward said quietly and kissed him on the cheek before stepping back beside Isabella.

"It's been a long, emotional night for you, son, and I'm sure you'd like to be alone with Isabella, so I think it's time that we left," Carlisle said after he cleared his throat a few times to rid it of the lump that had formed while he watched his two sons embrace. "If it's all right with the two of you, I know your mother and I would like it if you two would come for dinner tomorrow night. If it's too soon, I understand but," Carlisle stammered but Edward saved him by answering.

"We'd love to. We have Mass in the morning but we are free for dinner."

"Can we...would you mind terribly," Esme tried to say and Isabella answered this time.

"Yes, Esme, we'd love it if you went to Mass with us."

"Can we come, too? Jack and Emma would really love to see you both," Rose asked and smiled when Isabella nodded right away.

"Of course, Rose." She chuckled and then it was her turn to step forward.

Poor Rose looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to cry or laugh and Isabella wanted to let her know she knew exactly how she felt.

"I'm so sorry I haven't been a better friend and sister," Rose whispered in her ear when Isabella gave her a hug.

"It's okay, Rose. We'll just have to spend more time together making up for lost time now, won't we?" Isabella asked after she kissed her cheek. She meant it, too. She understood Rose's reluctance to get too close to her, but she did hope that changed in the future.

"Absolutely," she answered with a grateful sigh.

Edward was suddenly, well not really suddenly, but he did just realize how fucking spent he was. He pulled Isabella next to him and gripped her hip with his hand. He wanted to be alone with his wife...badly.

"Okay, then, we'll say goodbye and let you two get some rest," Carlisle said and pulled Esme toward the door.

There was another round of hugs and kisses, though this time both were blessedly short and sweet and then finally Edward was able to close the door, leaving just him and his incredible wife.

As soon as he turned around, Isabella flung herself at him and he lifted her into his arms. When her legs were wrapped around his waist and their chests were pressed tightly together, he was finally able to do what he'd needed to do all damn night.

Wasting no time, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her with an almost reckless abandon. Everything he felt for her, everything that she meant to him, he tried to pour into his kiss. "I love you," he finally managed to say once he was forced to take a breath.

"I love you. I'm so proud of you," she told him back, resting her forehead against his.

"Can we go upstairs now?" he asked with a sexy smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"If you're ready," she teased back and then shifted against him.

She needed him, needed to feel him against her, on top of her, inside of her. She needed to know that he was okay. She needed to show him how much she loved him.

"Oh, Beautiful, I've been ready," he told her. His voice had changed into that rough, needy tone that sent shivers down her spine and caused her stomach to clench, as well as parts down below.

He didn't let her go, not that she would have let him anyway, as he carried her up the stairs. She continually ran her fingers through his hair, over his forehead and cheeks, across his shoulders hoping that he could feel how much she loved him and needed him just through her touch. When she leaned back to look in his eyes and they locked intently onto hers, she knew he did.

They walked into their room and Edward kicked the door closed behind him, never once taking his eyes off his beautiful wife. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much so that the only thing he could do was not speak at all, because nothing he could say would ever be enough to adequately describe everything he was feeling. Instead he would show her.

Silently, he laid her in the middle of the bed and covered her body with his. Normally he tried to keep most of his weight off her but this time he didn't. He wanted to feel her body as close to his as he could get it and because she immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him, she obviously wanted that, too. He let his body settle against hers and felt every part of himself come alive as soon as he did so. He groaned, lowly and loudly in the back of his throat a moment before his tongue slid into her mouth. He curled his fingers in her hair and began to slowly rock against her center, smiling through his kiss when the softest, sexiest of little whimpers escaped her sweet mouth.

His tongue played with hers. Flicking, swirling, dipping, in and out until he was practically panting.

"I need you," he whispered huskily into her ear and then used his teeth to scrape along the tender, sensitive skin along her neck.

"I'm here," she whispered, arching her back against him as she felt him grow harder beneath his jeans.

"Isabella," he said, her name sounding like a desperate plea or a heartfelt prayer, he wasn't sure which, but it was probably a mixture of both.

"Edward," she breathed out and stared at him.

His eyes never left hers as he reached up and grabbed the back of his shirt with one hand, pulling it quickly over his head. He tossed it off to the side and then proceeded to do the same to hers, pushing it up over her stomach until it was gone, leaving her in just her bra from the waist up. He pressed his chest against hers and felt her heart beat almost in time with his. Neither was racing, they just beat in slow, steady rhythms that seemed to speak a language they both understood.

The pace with which he rocked against her increased and with it so did his need for her. He slid his hands down her sides, relishing the way her skin felt beneath his fingers. Satiny smooth and warm, so much so that he took his time trailing his fingers over every part of her he could touch. He lifted his chest from hers, chuckling when she growled her displeasure but then the growl turned to a soft moan when his fingers traced the lines of her collarbones, down the center of her chest, over the lace of her bra, to the outsides of her breasts, along her ribcage and across her stomach. He easily pushed her skirt down over her hips and thighs and used his own feet to push it the rest of the way once it was past her knees until it fell to the floor.

"Pants off, please," she begged.

He reached down between them and undid the button on his jeans, the sound of the zipper sounded so loud in the almost silent room and he smiled at her when she giggled at the noise. She helped him push his jeans and boxers over his hips and with her heels, pushed them down his legs so that he wouldn't have to move. Just the brief second he had to raise his hips so that they could get the jeans down his legs was too long.

Finally he was naked and she was almost, the only thing separating them was her thin lace bra and her barely there panties. A fact which Edward planned on remedying immediately.

Slipping his hands underneath her back, he deftly undid the clasp of her bra and then pushed the straps down over her shoulders and arms before lifting it from her body. The moment her naked breasts were exposed he covered them with kisses. They were so full, so soft, and fit perfectly in his hands, and he couldn't get enough of them. Lips, teeth, and tongue all took turns lavishing attention on the smooth skin of her breasts and the pebbled skin of her nipples. Back and forth, from left to right, he continued until he had his fill and until Isabella was writhing beneath him.

Her legs squeezed him tightly as she tried to get the friction her body was screaming for. Her feet pressed on his ass and she raised her hips off the bed in order to rub against him. She ached for him, yearned to feel him inside of her and she swore, silently, if he didn't do something to alleviate the almost painful throb between her legs, she would scream.

"Oh, God, please...Edward, just..." she panted between heavy breaths.

"Shhh, love. I know, I feel it, too. It's okay. I'll make you feel so good," he promised in a sinfully smooth voice.

With nimble fingers he pushed her panties down over her hips and then slid them down her gorgeous legs. When they were both fully naked and lying skin to skin, he shifted his hips with just the smallest of movements but that was all it took to be buried deep inside of her. When she completely engulfed his length and he could feel her slick heat surround him, he held himself completely still, savoring just being connected with her in the most intimate of ways.

Isabella had tipped her head back and squeezed her eyes shut, reveling in feeling Edward's body covering hers. There wasn't a breath of space between them and as far as she was concerned, if he never wanted to move it would be all right with her. She loved feeling him surround her, feeling that there was no way to tell when one of them began and the other one ended.

"Isabella, baby, open your eyes and look at me," he commanded after he'd watched her for a few moments.

She immediately did as he asked and though his eyes burned into hers, his smile was as soft and tender as she'd ever seen and it immediately brought tears to her eyes.

"Hey, what's all this?" he whispered and used his thumbs to wipe the moisture from beneath her eyes.

Isabella continued to stare at him, marveling at the fact that even though the evening wasn't anywhere close to what one could call enjoyable, he looked as peaceful and happy as she'd ever seen him. He was a beautiful man, she'd always thought so, but without the secrets and the hidden hurts and the bitterness he'd carried around for so long, it was almost like looking at a different person. One that still looked like him, but hadn't lived through all the pain that he had.

He watched as her eyes traveled over his face as if she was searching for some hidden clue or something before her brown eyes found his again. She was biting her bottom lip, something that never failed to turn him the hell on, and he could tell there was something she wanted to say, but was having trouble finding the words.

"Beautiful, please tell me," he asked her quietly. He dipped his head down and peppered her forehead, eyelids, cheeks and then her lips with kisses, hoping that he would soothe whatever had brought on the tears.

He'd seen enough of those to last...well however long he had left and then some.

"It's just...I don't know how to explain," she huffed in frustration and tried really hard not to think about the fact that he was still fully inside of her.

"Try, please," he pleaded and like her, tried to focus on what was troubling her rather than how fucking good she felt beneath and around him.

"You're...you," she said and then huffed when he raised his eyebrows and then smirked at her.

"Well, I certainly hope it's me that is currently...um...kind of attached to your body," he teased and then immediately stopped when she'd closed her eyes again and was frowning.

Hating to do it, he slid out of her and the laid down beside her, pulling her to him. She went willingly and immediately buried her nose into the crook of his neck. She sighed when she inhaled his scent and relaxed even more when he'd wrapped his arms completely around her. She felt safe, needed and most of all, loved beyond measure.

"Love, talk to me. You're killing me here," he said, and though he was kind of teasing, he really kind of wasn't either. He'd wanted and needed nothing more than to make love to her, but seeing her upset was putting quite the damper on things.

"It's just...I've waited so long to get to this point, you know?" When he started to apologize, again, she placed her fingers over his lips. "No, Edward, please don't apologize anymore. I understand, really and truly I do. Of course I wish you'd shared everything with me much sooner, but I'm so happy we're where we are right now. I know there are still hurts to heal and scars that will never really go away, but we...we...I mean, it's just me and you now, with nothing between us. It's all I've hoped and prayed for," she said quietly and laid her head back down on his shoulder.

Edward didn't say anything for the longest time, he just held her in his arms and drew nonsensical patterns on her back and shoulders with his fingertips. Every now and then he would kiss the top of her head or run his fingers through her hair, but for the most part they just laid there, each lost in their own thoughts.

He was pretty sure they were both thinking pretty close to the same things, but he wasn't positive. It didn't matter anyway, not really. What mattered was that his heart wasn't hidden away deep inside any longer. No, sir, he'd metaphorically ripped that sucker right out and handed it over to her. It was hers anyway, always had been, only now he wasn't afraid of what she would do with it.

Once he heard her sigh, he maneuvered them so that they were facing each other while they laid on their sides. "Isabella Marie Cullen," he said and had to clear his throat a few times so that he could talk once he'd swallowed the golf ball-sized lump that suddenly came out of nowhere. He reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear and rested his hand on her cheek. He let his thumb brush across her lips a few times, after he'd pulled the bottom one out from between her teeth, and then said, "I love you more than...well a whole fucking lot. I don't even know if there are enough ways to tell you how much I love you or why I love you. I just...do. _La mia ragione_ , Beautiful, and I've never meant it more than right at this moment. Everything, every fucking thing about me is due to you, for you. A very wise and kind of a pain in the ass...person," he smirked and then chuckled at the confused look on her face, which he patently ignored because...well he had to, "told me not long ago that you were my greatest gift, and after these past few days, there is no doubt about that statement at all. You make me complete, make life worth living, and there is nothing I want to do other than to spend every day making you so blissfully happy that when people pass by you on the street they can't help but smile because if I have anything to say about it, you will always have a smile on your gorgeous face."

"Oh, Edward," she said and then, well, she smiled at him. A huge, beaming smile that lit up her whole face and made her eyes twinkle in the moonlight. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he whispered and then rolled on top of her and settled between her legs once more. Once he found himself in the same position as earlier, he looked down at her, and waited until her eyes found his so he could say the last thing he needed to before he let his body talk for him. "Thank you for waiting for me, Beautiful."

"I'd wait for you forever if I had to, so thank you for not making me," she told him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

After that, there were no more words said.

They weren't needed.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**So...it's all out in the open...and now it's time for the healing to commence. What did you think? I know Carlisle and Esme have their faults, lots of them, but I hope you can see that they do truly love Edward and always have. Misunderstandings, guilt, jealousy...pride all played a part here, and not just on their parts, but on William's, Emmett's, and yes, even Edward's until things just spiraled so far out of control it was easier to leave things unsaid rather than face the multitude of mistakes everyone made. I don't know about you, but I'm so proud of Edward I could cry...well, I did that already...and then Seth, while he didn't say much, it was enough. This chapter exemplifies what this story is about to me, forgiveness and second chances to correct your mistakes. I hope I was able to get that point across, at least a little bit.**

**The story is not over, not even close, and there are still plenty of things happening in the upcoming chapters, so don't fret, okay? I know there are lots of you wondering how much time Edward has left now that he's faced his past and told everyone everything. I have a plan, always have, so just keep reminding yourselves I've promised a HEA and I won't let you down...I promise! I'm still looking at 31 chapters, so yeah...there is still more to come.**

**Bonus scene this week- How about some reactions from Carlisle and Esme? I think everyone would like to know what they were thinking on their way home, yes? So if you want to read it, review and I'll send you the bonus scene on Wednesday. If you need any of the prior bonus scenes, just email me at les_sh_16()yahoo(.)com**

**A note, I will be posting ALL of the previous bonus scenes on the blog very shortly as soon as we can get them all formatted and everything. I'll be happy to email them all to you if you want them now, I have them all put together in one doc, but if you want to wait, it won't be long until they are posted on the blog.**

**Follow me on Twitter, I might start giving you guys some hints on what's coming up next and I'll always answer any questions if you have them! les_sh_16**

**Oh, and for those of you who have been retweeting my Chapter updates and such, thank you so much! That means a lot and I hope you'll keep it up!**

**Thank you for continuing to have such faith in me...I promise I have a plan and I do promise to give Edward, Isabella...and you all a HEA! Keep the faith, okay?**

**See you next Sunday...don't forget to review! Leave me some love, this one is really special to me and I would love to know what you thought of it!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel!**

**Okay, I'm going to do something a bit different this time. I wrote a bonus scene for Chp 24 and due to FFn fail for reviews and such, I am going to post it at the beginning of this chapter...for a few reasons. The most important one is, I think it is something that everyone needs to read. It's really vital to the rest of the story, though I hadn't really planned on it being that way when I set out to write it. I have also posted a personal message on the blog that I think would really help you all to understand where my mind is, or has been, when I've written the last few chapters, so please check it out.**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com**

**Now, is everyone ready? NO tissues should be needed for this one (except MAYBE for the BS, but that is it!) unless it's to muffle the squee's at the end! No peeking though, start from the top and work your way down!**

**Now...on with the story! (Sorry for the insanely long A/N's! I've tried to get better!)**

****~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~** **

**Chapter 24 Bonus Scene**

Esme sighed and stared out the window, not really seeing what was passing her by. Santa Claus could go flying by on his sleigh and it wouldn't have even registered with her she was so lost in thought. Snippets of the evening's events played in her mind like a slide show, never staying on one thing too long, but certainly long enough to painfully pierce her heart. A heart she wasn't sure would ever mend fully, no matter how much time passed.

She wasn't sure which was worse or hurt the most, the fact that she had spent twenty years mourning a sister who was not the person she thought she was or the fact that Edward had suffered so much because of hers and Carlisle's misplaced guilt and jealousy. It was one in the same she supposed, and at this point did it even matter? The damage had been done and it was only by some miraculous turn of events, which she had yet to even begin to try to understand, that Edward had forgiven the two of them at all.

Isabella was the catalyst, she was sure of it, though she didn't know how or why, but there was no question that she was. Watching the way Edward drew strength from her, the way she surrounded him with so much love and total faith was astounding to watch, humbling, too, in all matter-of-fact. She and Carlisle loved each other, but not like they did. What Edward and Isabella shared with each other was awe-inspiring to witness, if not a bit intimidating.

She and Carlisle both, their whole family, owed Isabella so much. It was debt she was sure would never be able to be repaid.

She sighed again and heard Carlisle say softly, "Darling, are you all right?"

Not turning to look at him, for if she did she knew she would surely break down, she merely shrugged her shoulders and gave him some sort of noncommittal sound.

Would she ever be okay? As happy and relieved as she was to finally know everything, she wondered how they would move forward. How they would learn to be a family. How she could ever make up to Edward all the pain and suffering he'd endured because of them. It was like moving on after the death of a loved one she guessed, though when she was honest with herself, it was like a death; the death of the childlike fantasy of the memory of her sister. What happened to Maggie that made her treat her own child the way, or had she always been so utterly selfish and Esme just never admitted that?

Questions she wasn't sure she would ever have answers for or certainly not answers that made any sort of sense.

Carlisle was heartbroken as he continually watched Esme out of the corner of his eye. His thoughts were every bit as self-loathing as hers were, perhaps even more so. It wasn't a contest, but if it were, he was pretty sure causing pain due to your own jealousy and pride trumped the loss of a sister.

God, he felt like such a failure...as a son, a husband...a father. Listening to Edward talk tonight as he relived all of those painful moments was pure, unadulterated torture. Each word he spoke, each heartbreaking event that had taken place, Carlisle would think about and remember for the rest of his life. He deserved no less.

What he wouldn't give to go back and time and do everything, every damn thing, differently. Starting with the moment they arrived in Ireland and he first laid eyes on that broken, scared boy. He wouldn't ever forget how Edward looked when he and Esme had walked into that office and found him curled up in a chair, not speaking, and looking so lost and alone. How could he have ever thought he was okay, that he was coping? What a fool he had been, a blind, jealous fool. What kind of man puts his own selfish needs and wants ahead of a child's? After listening to Edward talk about his childhood in Ireland, he knew he was no better than Liam and Maggie; none of them deserved the incredible privilege of having a son like Edward.

The fact that Edward was willing to forgive him was testament to how good a man he was and if it took every day until the day he died, Carlisle vowed to never, ever forget it.

The rest of the drive was spent in complete silence because both of them were too consumed with their own feelings of guilt and unworthiness to try to comfort the other. When Carlisle pulled the car in their driveway and parked the car in the garage, they both sat, unmoving when he turned the car off. The silence that surrounded them was uneasy and tension-filled, so unlike the way it normally felt.

Carlisle briefly wondered if it would ever feel the way it used to again.

"Es, we need to go inside. It's too cold sit here like this," Carlisle said with a heavy sigh and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

She nodded at him and then opened her door, walking with lead feet inside. Normally her house was her refuge, the place she felt the safest, the most comfortable, but walking through tonight, she felt the weight of all her failures. It was in every picture that was displayed, because Edward wasn't in them. There were a few here and there, but not as many as of Emmett, or of Emmett and Rose, or of Emmett, Rose, Jack, and Emma. There were his graduation pictures, from high school and college, a picture of him and Isabella from their wedding, a few formal family pictures, but that was it. There weren't the scattering of spontaneous snapshots like there were with Emmett, pictures of happy times caught forever on film. No, the ones she had showed, in both color and stark black and white, just how far away he'd kept himself from his family...because he never felt like he was wanted.

That thought brought her to her knees and she finally let go, sobbing uncontrollably. Carlisle was beside her in an instant, crying right along with her. Where the tears came from Esme wasn't sure because she thought she'd cried them all out at Edward's but they just kept coming and coming in a steady stream. She held onto Carlisle as tightly as he held onto her hoping that somehow, someway, he could ease her pain, even though she knew he was hurting every bit as much as she was.

"Car, where do we go from here? How do we make it up to him?" she asked through her hiccups as she tried to catch her breath.

"We love him, Esme, and show him every day how much he means to us, the way we always should have," Carlisle answered and ran his fingers across her tear-stained cheeks.

He got up and pulled her along with him and the two made their way upstairs to their bedroom. They each quickly got ready for bed and in no time were wrapped in each other's arms. Neither spoke for a time, because words weren't needed in order to offer one another comfort. After so many years together they knew each other's bodies and thoughts as well as they knew their own

"I love you, Esme," Carlisle whispered in a hoarse, raw voice.

"I love you, too," she answered back, squeezing him tightly.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but we'll be okay. We'll make things right," he promised her with all the conviction he had.

Esme sighed and tightly closed her eyes before she opened them and looked at her beloved husband. He was not a perfect man, she'd always known that, but she loved him with a strength that left her breathless and weak in the knees even all these years later. He was her rock, her protector, and even though he took on that role with a vigor that often bordered on extreme, she wouldn't want him any other way.

The mistakes and failures concerning Edward notwithstanding, of course.

"How, Carlisle? How do we fix this? How do we earn his forgiveness?" she questioned plaintively.

"We try, Es, every damn day, to be the parents we should have been all this time. Me more than you; you've always let him know how much you've loved him, even if he didn't acknowledge it. Me? I've squandered away twenty years that I can't ever get back, but I can make sure to embrace this second chance he's given me and I fully intend to do just that," Carlisle told her as he cupped her cheek in his hand.

Esme would never blame him, just like he couldn't blame her, for the things that happened and the mistakes they'd made, so she didn't. Instead she said, "We owe Isabella so much."

"We do, though there isn't anything we could do that could repay her for what she's given us, or what he has either for that matter. They are two very remarkable people," he sighed.

Again neither spoke for a time and then he whispered, though he was fairly certain she was asleep, "Tomorrow is a new day, my love, and a new beginning for our family. We'll be all right, I promise."

He'd never meant anything more in his life.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Now, on with TGG**

**Chapter 25**

The following morning, Edward woke up with a smile on his face, a heart that was lighter than he could ever remember, and a tangled mess of brown curls tickling his nose.

It was the best way to wake up _ever_.

When Isabella sighed and then stretched against him as she woke up, rubbing a naked breast against his chest in the process, he quickly amended his previous thought. Though it was still a pretty damn good way to wake up, truth be told. She threw a leg over his and in doing so, the sheet slipped down around her leaving a very naked and very, very sexy hip and part of her ass exposed. He moaned, he thought quietly, but when he heard her raspy giggle, he knew she'd heard him.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but if we're going to make it to Mass on time, we need to get up and get going," she told him and then when she picked her head up after kissing his chest, she rolled her eyes when he pouted at her.

"You don't want to explain to Father O'Connor and Nonna why we're late, do you?" she teased.

"Hell no. Fine then, you can make me breakfast. I'm starving because someone thought it would be a good idea to keep me up until all hours of the night engaged in... strenuous activity." He smirked at her just a second before he rolled over on top of her.

Knowing that she still had a thing about kissing him in the morning without brushing her teeth first, no matter how many times he told her he loved kissing her first thing, he brushed his lips against hers before moving to the side of her neck. If he couldn't kiss her, nibbling and sucking on her neck wasn't a bad substitute.

At all.

"You know, you actually have to let me out of bed, Edward, if you want breakfast." She giggled when he shook his head, though he hadn't stopped what he was doing.

"Don't want you to go," he mumbled against her skin.

Just then both of their stomachs rumbled and he huffed before he rolled off her and threw himself back on his pillow.

"Fine, go fix us food, woman. Apparently I'm not the only one that worked up quite the appetite," he said with a grin.

She slid from the bed and threw a t-shirt on and without missing a beat, twisted a band around her hair to put it up in a ponytail. She knelt on the bed and leaned over, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes," she told him and then scooted back before he had time to grab her, which he'd had every intention of doing.

He watched her walk out the door of their room and groaned, loudly, when he realized she hadn't put any panties on. There was nothing that could have stopped the smile that blossomed on his face when he heard her laugh as she went down the stairs.

The woman knew exactly how to drive him crazy that was for sure.

He hopped out of bed and grabbed a clean pair of boxers so that he could take a shower. He had no doubt that there would be a visitor waiting in the chair in the corner when he was through, and when he walked out of the bathroom less than ten minutes later, he wasn't wrong.

"I don't suppose I need to ask how you are this morning, do I?" Seth taunted when Edward walked past him and into the walk-in closet to get dressed.

"Aren't you supposed to know everything?" Edward sarcastically responded a few moments later when he walked out of the closet wearing a pale yellow shirt and a bright, multicolored, polka dot tie.

Whatever smart ass retort Seth had for Edward was forgotten the moment he saw what his young friend was wearing. "Eddie, you never do anything halfway, I'll give you that," he said with a loud chuckle that shook the windows.

"Look who's talking," Edward gave back just as good when he looked pointedly at the shoes the angelic being had on.

Seth stuck out his leg and looked admiringly at his choice of footwear for the day. "What? These old things? You telling me you don't like them?" the angel questioned with a twinkle in his ice blue eyes. His feet were adorned with the most hideous gold-colored sneakers, and they had wings of all things if you can believe that, which if you knew the annoying angel, really made perfect sense. Show off.

Edward snorted as he walked to his dresser to grab his watch and wallet and said, "Not just no, but hell no. I swear I think you wear shoes like that just to see if you can get a rise out of me."

"Hmmm, wouldn't you like to know? Seriously, Edward Anthony, how are you this morning? Last night was quite the roller coaster for you, though I must say again, I am really proud of the way you handled everything," Seth said as he once again became guardian angel instead of pain in the ass angel.

Edward sat down on the edge of the bed and then looked at him. "I'm...good," he told Seth. "Really, really, good."

"Anything you want to talk about?" the angel questioned sincerely.

Quite honestly, poor Seth couldn't decide if he wanted that answer to be yes or no. As much as he had enjoyed and found great meaning in what he'd done to help Edward, he was rather looking forward to watching Edward...just be Edward.

Edward regarded the annoying angel person for a moment while he mulled over that question. There were still things he had questions about and one very important issue he was still struggling with, but for the time being if Seth wasn't going to push it, neither was he.

Apparently, because Seth seemed rather laid back at the moment, time was not of the essence, at least not for today. If that was the case, Edward had much better things to think about. If he was going to be allowed the freedom to do so, he was damn sure going to take it.

There wasn't any way of knowing how many days he had left so he was going to enjoy every one of them to the fullest.

Answering the question from a moment ago, Edward said, "No. I'm okay."

Both of them heard Isabella humming downstairs and Edward couldn't help but smile when Seth sighed as he looked in the direction of the kitchen. The angel didn't fool him for one second; he still ogled Isabella whenever he got the chance.

Turning back toward his charge, Seth rolled his eyes when Edward smirked at him. He didn't say anything, just merely shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't as if Edward wasn't fully aware of how incredible his wife was.

"Are you nervous about dinner tonight?" Seth questioned as he shifted the focus back to Edward and away from Isabella.

Not that he really wanted to, mind you.

Edward finished tying his shoes and then stood up after grabbing his suit jacket. Turning toward the angel he said, "No, not really. I know things are going to be tense for a while and I know things aren't fixed just because we've all said we're sorry. I'm still angry and hurt, but I also know that for my sake, as well for everyone else's, it's best not to dwell on things that happened in the past. Now that everything is out in the open, hopefully we can all learn how to act like a family."

Once again, the normally all-knowing angel was taken by surprise, though in all reality, he really shouldn't have been. Edward was much stronger than Seth had ever realized. Didn't mean Seth wasn't going to annoy him just because he could though.

Really, what kind of angel would he be if he let young Edward off that easily?

"Very well then. Enjoy Mass and then dinner with your family. I'll see you bright and early in the morning. Should be a fun day at Cullen Publishing tomorrow," the angel said with a mischievous grin and then was gone.

"Damn pain in the ass, know-it-all, wife-ogling angel," Edward muttered, though it was done with a smile.

He made his way down the stairs as quietly as he could because he had a detour he wanted to make before he went to find Isabella in the kitchen. He slipped out the back door and was taken aback at the riot of color in the garden. He hadn't been out here in a few weeks and he was amazed at how much it had changed. Between changing the bedrooms, Isabella's birthday and the opera, and then last week when he was in asshole mode, there hadn't been any time to relax back here like he and Isabella had started to do and he was surprised at how much he missed it.

Ever since that night all those weeks ago, and really, it seemed almost like a lifetime ago to him when he stopped to think about it, Edward made it a point to come outside with Isabella at least a few times a week. Sometimes their schedule prevented that, but as long as the weather held out it was something he really enjoyed. He loved watching her work with her plants and flowers, only because it was obvious how much she enjoyed it. It didn't hurt that she always wore a pair of jeans that hugged her ass just right either he noted with a smile.

Carefully plucking a perfect pale yellow hibiscus bloom from the bush, Edward took one last glance around the garden. He made a mental note to pick up some butter pecan ice cream so they could enjoy eating it outside this week and then hurried back into the house. Silently he entered the kitchen and stepped behind her, handing her the flower.

"It's not as beautiful as you, but I thought you deserved something pretty this morning," he whispered in her ear when he bent his head down. With his nose he nuzzled the side of her neck for a moment and then said, "It doesn't smell as good as you do either, Beautiful."

"Edward," she said breathlessly as she closed her eyes.

She leaned back against him, even though she knew she shouldn't, but it was just too big a temptation to resist. He was all hard muscles and smelled so damn good, and her body reacted unconsciously to being so close to him. She groaned softly when the hand that wasn't holding the flower slid from her hip across her stomach and held her in place as he shifted behind her ever so slightly, but it was just enough so that he was pressed firmly against her ass. She tipped her head to the side when she felt his tongue on the side of her neck and all thoughts of getting to Mass anywhere close to on time were about to be very quickly thrown out the window.

Until he stepped backward and took his hand away.

She stuck out her bottom lip when she turned around to face him, but as soon as she saw the way he was dressed and _her_ smile on his face, she couldn't help but sigh.

He was so, so happy and it took her breath away.

She couldn't take her eyes off him, at least until he chuckled at her. "It's just me, love," he told her softly.

"I know. I plan on keeping this Edward for a really long time," she answered back. "Thank you for my flower."

He stepped forward and took it from her hands and then slid it behind her ear. "Like I said, it's not as beautiful as you, but I thought you would like it," he said with an adorable shrug of his shoulders.

"I love it." She stepped forward and kissed his cheek and then once again stepped back before he could hang on to her. They really were going to be late if she got sidetracked and with him looking the way he did and acting the way he was, it was taking every ounce of willpower she had not to attack him right there in the kitchen.

For so long she'd hoped and prayed that they would get to this place, that he would let her all the way into his heart and share every bit of himself, the good and the bad, with her and now that they had finally reached this point, well, it was a bit overwhelming to say the least. Like Edward had mentioned to Seth, she also knew that everything wouldn't be perfect overnight. There was a lot of healing that needed to be done, but the hardest part was over now.

"I love you," he said back and tried to reach for her, scowling when she shook her head at him.

"I love you, too, Edward, but I need to get dressed and you need to eat," she told him in the tone that let him know she meant business.

"Fine, fine, spoil all my fun," he tried to say with a straight face, but couldn't because just then his stomach growled.

He looked toward the table and his eyebrows rose all the way to his forehead, or at least it felt like it when he saw his laptop, already on and open, beside his plate. He looked back toward his wife with his mouth hanging open and before he could even say anything, she laughed at him.

"Sweetheart, I know you have things to check on at the office. I just figured you could do it while you ate, especially because we'll be busy most of the day."

"You...you're, damn I love you," he told her again and then hurried to sit down.

Now that he thought about it, he had a million and one things he needed to check on and was anxious to get to work, even though it would only be for a little bit.

"Eat, read your emails or whatever you need to do, and I'll be down in thirty minutes so we can go," she told him and kissed the top of his head because he'd already started pulling up his email as soon as he sat down.

She chuckled at him when she turned around to walk upstairs. She knew he'd been so focused on other things for the past few weeks and though he would never let the business suffer in any way, he did have a company to run and a snake named Vincent to deal with.

The sooner the better.

Walking into their bedroom, she couldn't help but smile at her husband's pitiful, but very sweet attempt to make their bed. He was as adorable and romantic as he could be, but the man couldn't make a bed to save his life. She quickly straightened out the sheets and the comforter and then put the pillows back in their designated places. She gently laid her flower on the bed and then wasted no time picking out a dress that would match.

While she was showering she thought about what tomorrow at the office would be like. As emotionally draining as the past week had been for her and for Edward as well, she couldn't wait to just move forward, with no secrets, no hidden hurts or memories between them and just be themselves.

She was rather excited and really looked forward to seeing how much better and stronger their relationship would be now that everything was out in the open. In all actuality, she couldn't wait.

While she was getting dressed and putting on her makeup, Edward was still busily going through his emails from work and making notes for the things he needed to take care of when he got to the office in the morning, starting with meeting with Jasper, Emmett, Alec, and Marcus and making an announcement that he would have Jasper draw up the proper paperwork to name Isabella, formally, as his successor. It was something he should have done a long time ago in the first place and it was, as Seth had made abundantly clear, imperative to have a plan in place, just in case.

He knew she wouldn't want a big deal made out of it, but he knew, and he was damn sure that the others would agree, that she more than deserved the recognition and he was going to talk to everyone to figure out what to do for her. Next on the list was tackling Vincent Sinclair and the mess he'd begun to make out of things. Isabella and Emmett's campaign had really taken off and was already the talk of the publishing world. In his in-box there were more messages than he'd been able to get to yet asking for interviews, appearances, and quotes for numerous newspapers and magazines. With each success and each accolade it seemed like Vincent had spiraled more and more out of control. It would be almost funny if it wasn't so tragic. There was no love lost between he and Vince but that didn't mean Edward relished watching him drive his family's company into the ground and along with it, the careers of everyone associated with him.

Yeah, he had a lot of work to do in the coming days and he was more than ready to tackle it all.

He looked up when he heard the sound of Isabella's shoes on the hardwood floor and thankfully for him, and his laptop, he'd already finished his breakfast or else he would have choked on his food when he saw her walk into the dining room.

"Beautiful...you're just...beautiful," he and then chuckled at his total loss for anything original.

He clicked the touch pad to turn off the laptop and then stood up, instantly taking her in his arms and then proceeded to kiss her until they were both panting for breath.

"We really have to go, Edward," she told him even though she had her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I know," he answered back even though he didn't stop kissing her neck. He was careful not to wrinkle her dress, but he was having a hard time, a really hard time, controlling himself right at the moment.

Finally he managed to pull himself away from her and when he did, he was able to appreciate seeing her all over again. "Isabella, baby, you really do look amazing," he said, and his voice was a delicious mixture of sexy and sweet and it made her heart race.

He continued to stare at her, taking note and smiling appreciatively when he noticed the flower in her hair. The dress matched the flower perfectly and if it fit her any better, he'd have to seriously consider bringing a baseball bat or something with him to church to beat off anyone that couldn't take their eyes off her, though he had to concede, that would be probably be just about everyone. She had her friendship bracelet on as well as a simple pair of platinum earrings and necklace with a diamond cross pendant. Her hair was down and hung in soft curls and as usual, she wore minimum makeup...because she didn't need it.

Of course staring at him and taking in the way he was dressed might have had a little bit to do with the rapid beating of her heart, or hell, a lot. _He sure knew how to wear a suit well_ , she thought. He was the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on and he was totally, completely, and irrevocably hers, and he always would be.

With a sigh that indicated how conflicted she was, she told him they needed to go, again, and this time, thankfully, he nodded his head and led them to the car. The drive to meet the family at church was quick and filled with lighthearted small talk and both Edward and Isabella relished the fact that things were so much better, deeper, between them. Neither acknowledged it, but both could feel the subtle shift in their relationship.

When he parked and then got out to help her from the car, he couldn't help but give her a sexy smile when she stood up. The weather outside was absolutely perfect, sunny with just the slightest bit of chill in the air and when the sunlight bounced off her hair and the diamonds around her neck, it was almost as if heaven was shining down on her. A totally cheesy thought he knew, one which he blamed the annoying angel person for, but it didn't make it any less true either.

Just as he was about to step forward and kiss her, he heard the sweetest voice, besides Isabella's of course. "Uncle Ebbard!" Emma squealed as she let go of Rose's had and ran to him.

Edward turned from his wife and toward his niece, bending over to swing her up into his arms as soon as she was close enough. "How's my favorite pretty girl today?" He chuckled at her while she squeezed him around the neck.

"Good. Mommy let me pick out my dress today, isn't it pretty?" she asked him and giggled when he pretended to have to think about his answer.

"I dare say, Miss Emma, you will be the prettiest little girl in the whole church today," he answered and then gave her a raspberry on her cheek.

She squirmed as she tried to get away from him and then held his face in her tiny little hands and very seriously said, "I missded you."

Well, that melted Edward's heart and kind of made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world, which he pretty much thought he was anyway. "Missed you, too, angel. Want to sit with me during Mass?" he asked, not wanting to let her go.

"Can I, Mommy?" Emma asked when she turned toward Rose.

Rose rolled her eyes and tried to stop from smiling at how utterly adorable Edward was with her daughter but failed...miserably.

"Of course you can, baby girl. I see how it is," she teased.

Every member of the Cullen family had arrived and everyone that passed by couldn't help but smile at the group of them. They did indeed make quite the spectacle as they stood and talked with one another. It wasn't done on purpose of course, but that didn't mean it wasn't true just the same.

Charlie and Renée looked on as they waited for the rest of their suddenly much closer family to join them before they made their way inside the church. Charlie watched with a huge, proud smile on his face as Edward interacted with his family. He couldn't believe the changes in him; he seemed like a totally different man than the one he'd met all those years ago. And his daughter? Happy didn't even begin to describe her.

It did his heart good to see them so much in love.

The Swans greeted the Cullens warmly, though Carlisle and Esme were welcomed with a bit less enthusiasm than Emmett and his family. Charlie was still trying to come to grips with everything he'd heard last night and he had a lot of questions, though he would do as his daughter asked and give Edward time and space. Their relationship was such that he knew if Edward needed him, he would let him know.

Charlie couldn't even begin to describe, and he'd tried plenty to articulate it to Renée, how much it meant to him to have gotten as close as he had to Edward over the past month and a half. It honestly felt like it had always been that way, not just a recent development. It was one he hoped would continue to get stronger over time.

The impressive group finally made their way into the church and filled up an entire pew. Charlie proudly led the way, followed by Renée and then Nonna. Isabella sat beside her and Jack was happily between her and his Uncle Edward. Emma of course wouldn't let go and took her spot prominently on his lap. Esme scooted closer to Edward to leave room for Carlisle, Emmett, and then Rose.

Father O'Connor smiled from the altar when they'd all taken their seats. He'd been inordinately pleased when Edward showed up at Mass a few weeks ago with Isabella and he noticed as each week went by how much happier Edward seemed. He was a bit shocked to see Edward's family along with the Swans, especially because he couldn't recall seeing them since Emma was baptized.

Emma had fallen asleep contentedly snuggled up on her Uncle Edward's shoulder and didn't stir until they'd all stood up to leave once Mass was over. Sleepily, she reached her tiny hand out to touch the flower in her Aunt Bella's hair saying softly, "So pretty."

Isabella smiled at her and reached up and pulled the bloom from behind her ear and slid it behind her niece's ear. "It looks prettier on you than me, Sweet Pea," she said lovingly as she kissed her on the forehead.

"I'd beg to differ with you, love," Edward whispered to his wife with a smile.

He placed his hand on the small of her back so they could make their way outside. Jack had yet to let go of her hand and to anyone looking at them, they looked like a wonderfully happy and loving family. While that was true, it wasn't entirely accurate either, because Jack and Emma weren't their children and that thought caused Edward's heart to lurch almost painfully in his chest.

Oh, he'd come such a long way, cleared so many hurdles in the short time since the annoying angel person first appeared but the pain of all the regrets he had hadn't diminished at all. That was the thing about regrets Edward had come to know so well, they never went away, you just merely learned how to live with them.

He pushed those melancholy thoughts to the back of his mind as they walked out the doors and met the rest of the family outside. Charlie, Renée, and Nonna were chatting with some friends and Father O'Connor was speaking with his parents and Em and Rose.

"Edward, Isabella, it is so wonderful to see the rest of your family with you this morning," the vivacious priest greeted them as he hugged them both.

"Thank you, Father," Isabella said, and Edward noted she blushed, just like she always did whenever she spoke to the good-looking priest.

It was a fact that Edward and Charlie had laughed about more than a few times because both Renée and Nonna had the same reactions whenever Father O'Connor was around them. The Irish priest was a charming man; even Edward had to give him credit for that.

"Well, I see you've reacquainted yourself with my parents and brother and sister-in-law, but let me introduce you to the other two members of my family," Edward told him and shifted Emma in his arms.

"Pretty girl, can you say hi?" Edward asked her softly as she picked her head up. "Father, this beautiful little girl is my niece, Emma, and this is her brother, Jack," he finished and laughed when Jack stuck his hand out to greet him properly.

"Well, aren't you two the best-looking of the whole bunch?" he teased and then proceeded to shake Jack's offered hand before rubbing his hand on Emma's back.

"Edward, my son, I must say, you look very comfortable with that beautiful little girl in your arms, perhaps you and Isabella will have at least one of your own soon."

The comment was meant to be lighthearted but Isabella couldn't help but frown when she saw the devastated look on Edward's face. It was gone almost before she could register what she'd seen, but she did see it and would be definitely asking him what that look was for.

Edward chuckled, somewhat nervously, and responded, "Well, we can always hope, can't we?"

The awkward moment seemed to pass when Charlie thankfully approached them all to say goodbye.

"Charlie, Edward and Isabella are coming to our house for dinner this evening and we would love it if you all could join us as well," Esme said once Father O'Connor walked off.

Esme had noticed both last night and this morning how at ease Edward was around Charlie, Renée, and Nonna. Admittedly, she was both happy and a bit hurt by that at the same time, only because it just reinforced, in her mind at least, how distant Edward had truly been from them. It was easy to see how much Isabella's family loved Edward and as she vowed to Carlisle last night, they would be doing everything in their power to do the same, to both Isabella and Edward.

Renée had stepped up beside her husband and linked her arm in his. She looked at Esme and gave a genuine smile. Like Charlie, she had many questions for Edward and her daughter, but would wait until a bit more time had passed before pressing for answers. She appreciated the gesture of being asked to dinner, but she intuitively knew Edward needed some time with his family. Isabella didn't get her gift of perception just from her father or her Nonna.

"Thank you, Esme, for the offer," she said before Charlie could say anything, "but, Charlie has promised to help me at the art studio this afternoon and then he's taking me to dinner, so perhaps we can do it another time. It was wonderful to have you all here with us today. We would love for you to come again."

She meant it, too. Like her daughter and her husband, there were some lingering feelings of disappointment, she supposed was the right word, as well as a bit of anger toward Esme and Carlisle for hurting Edward, but based on the fact they were all together this morning, she assumed there had been a resolution to most of their problems the night before. If that was truly the case, she wanted to do all she could to turn over a new leaf and move forward.

They were all family after all.

"We would love to, Renée," Esme said gratefully.

_There was still so much to work through and to come to terms with,_ Esme thought with a heavy heart, but it certainly appeared as if everyone was willing to let bygones be bygones. There weren't enough words to describe how grateful she was for a second chance to show Edward how much he'd always meant to her.

After a round of goodbyes and promises to get together soon, the Swans left and the Cullens headed toward the parking lot. Emma still hadn't moved from her spot in Edward's arms. Jack, now he was a whole different story. Before Charlie had left, he'd reminded Edward and Bella of the upcoming soccer game and when Isabella asked Jack if he'd like to go with the three of them, the poor boy looked like he was either going to faint or explode right there on the spot. Edward and the others couldn't help but laugh at his excitement and if he had looked at his Aunt Bella like she was the coolest thing ever before, now she was right up there with his love for the White Sox which meant he reallllyyyy loved her!

Edward got an idea while they walked to the parking lot and called for his brother, "Hey, Em. Why don't you trade cars with me and let me and Isabella take the kids for the afternoon? We'll bring them back when we see you at dinner later."

Jack nodded his head enthusiastically and Isabella voiced her wish to do the same. Emma, well, because she hadn't let go of her Uncle Edward in over an hour now, it seemed like she was of the same opinion as her brother.

Emmett looked at Rosie, who had the same astonished look on her face that he assumed he had on his. First, Edward never, ever, let anyone drive his car. He assumed Isabella had occasionally, but it sure as hell wasn't something Edward ever did unless it was completely necessary. Second, Emmett was positive that Edward had never volunteered to babysit for an entire afternoon before and third, he would get a few hours of completely uninterrupted alone time with his wife; an opportunity he was most definitely not going to pass up.

"Hell yeah, man, that would be...I'm sure the kids would love it," Emmett said and then winced when Rose slapped his arm.

"Em, you're still at church! Watch the language!" she said with a huff and then turned to look at Edward and Isabella.

"If you guys are sure you're up for it, I think it would be great for the kids to spend the day with you," she told them both sincerely.

Luckily, Rose was one of those moms that was always prepared, so the kids had a change of clothes in the car so they weren't spending the day dressed in their Sunday clothes. After she and Isabella took the kids into the bathroom, Edward and Emmett traded keys. Emmett couldn't help but lick his lips when he eyed Edward's car. It wasn't often that Emmett got the chance to indulge in his love of driving fast and he had every intention of doing so the moment he got behind the wheel of that fine-looking piece of machinery.

"Just get it back to me in one piece, please," Edward said somewhat nervously as Emmett snatched the keys from him and dropped the keys to his Mercedes SUV into his brother's hand.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, not taking his eyes off the car.

Edward turned when he heard the sounds of the kids pulling Isabella by the hand toward the car and he slapped his brother on the back. "Have a good day, Em. We'll see you at dinner."

Emmett managed to tear himself away from staring at the car long enough to kiss his kids once they were buckled in their car seats and then hugged Isabella quickly. "You guys have fun today, and thanks, Bella."

"You're welcome, but this was all Edward's idea," she told him and then the two of them turned and smiled at each other as they watched Rose give Edward a list of instructions for the day.

"He's just...he's...I can't believe..." Emmett struggled to find the words to say and Isabella wrapped her arm around his waist and said softly, "I know, Em. He's incredible."

"You're not so bad yourself, sis," he told her as he kissed the top of her head.

There was a lot he wanted to say to both of them but it wasn't the time or the place, especially when he had a fucking kick ass car to drive and a hot wife to...well do things to he shouldn't think about standing outside a church.

"Babe, kiss the kids and let's roll." He smirked as he shook the keys in his hand and laughed heartily when he saw Edward swallow nervously. "Don't worry, bro, I promise to get it back to you in one piece."

"You'd better or it's your ass," Edward teased and then reached for Isabella's hand, sighing as soon as her fingers entwined with his. "You kids have fun, now," he told Em and Rose with a wink and then led Isabella to the passenger side of the SUV.

Once he got in his seat and adjusted the mirror, he heard Emmett peel out of the parking lot like a teenager and instead of growling, he laughed at his younger brother.

"You are a brave man, my husband," Isabella told him with a smile as they took off. "Spending the day with Jack and Emma and letting Em drive your car, it's like a whole new Edward."

"Actually, love, it's just the real Edward...finally. Hope you like him," he said quietly as he reached for her hand. His tone was teasing, but there was most definitely an undercurrent of uncertainty mixed in there as well and Isabella couldn't help but laugh tenderly at him.

"Oh, Edward, believe me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about in that department; like doesn't even come close to describing what I feel for you. However, I have a feeling that I'll have to fight the women off even more than I already do at the office tomorrow," she told him with a bit of a huff.

He chuckled at her, though he couldn't deny how much her words affected him. Not the part about the women at the office, because he never really paid attention to stuff like that anyway, but the part about what she felt for him. That stuff he did pay attention to, always. If she felt what he did, and he knew she did, they would make everyone sick by lunchtime with how much they felt for one another.

He kind of couldn't wait for that.

It was really pretty fucking amazing, he thought as he held onto her hand and listened to the kids chatter in the back seat, how much different things seemed to be, pretty much overnight. Granted, he'd changed the moment the infernal angel popped into his life. It also kind of went without saying that he wouldn't be driving in a car on a sunny Sunday morning with his beautiful wife and niece and nephew if the annoying being hadn't saved him in the first place.

And he truly did mean saved in every sense of the word.

One look out of the corner of his eye was all it took to realize just how much he owed Seth. The past few weeks had been the best of his entire life, but when he woke up this morning he couldn't help but hope the following ones, no matter how many they consisted of, would be even better. To finally be at this place was more than he ever dreamed, but it was no less than what Isabella deserved.

"What do you think we should do today?" Edward asked with a grin.

"This was your idea, sweetheart, what did you have in mind when you asked Em if we could keep the kids?"

Adorably, he shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea to be honest with you. I just...I thought it would be nice to spend the day with you and them. It's such a pretty day outside," he trailed off, sounding almost embarrassed.

Totally unlike the Edward Cullen everyone else knew.

Thankfully, Isabella had a few ideas, starting with having lunch. "Why don't we take them to that pizza place where we can eat and then let them play some games. Then we can go the park and have some ice cream before we head to your parents' house."

Edward sucked in a breath at the mention of the word parents, but he recovered quickly. It would take a bit to get used to referring Carlisle and Esme as Dad and Mom, as his parents, even though they had been for more than twenty years now. Now that he'd let go of his past and was working on letting Liam and Maggie rest in peace, he had a feeling lots of things would be changing. He wasn't sure there was anything wrong with that.

"Sounds perfect, Beautiful. Do you think I can keep up with them?" he asked with a wink as he pulled in the parking lot of the pizza restaurant.

"I think number one, you can do anything you want to do and number two, it's good practice wouldn't you say?" she teased and then caught that same crestfallen look pass quickly over his face, and again, it was gone almost as quick as it came.

He flashed her a quick smile and then they made their way inside the very crowded restaurant and Isabella didn't have time to think about anything other than making sure Jack and Emma didn't get lost amongst the crowd of people in the game part of the family restaurant.

They spent almost two hours there eating and playing and Edward had never had more fun. Well, that was not quite true and he still couldn't play video games worth a damn, but he did enjoy just letting loose and enjoying himself.

Finally, they managed to wrangle the kids away from the games and got them buckled in the car and they headed for the park that was back in Evanston. The ride would take almost an hour because Edward would be sure to drive as close to the speed limit as he could and before long, both kids were asleep in the back.

Edward and Isabella could have filled their time talking, especially because there were still many things to talk about, but instead, they spent most of that time in a comfortable silence. The kind that only came from being totally secure and safe and loved.

Edward reached over and took her hand, taking a moment to run his finger along the friendship bracelet on her wrist and said, "You're my best friend, Isabella. I hope you know that."

He had no idea where that thought came from or why he said it after they hadn't said anything for at least twenty minutes, but the moment the words were out, he was happy he'd said them, especially when he saw the brilliant smile on her face.

"You're mine, too," she answered him back and lifted his hand to her mouth so she could kiss the back of it.

They didn't say anything else for the rest of the ride to the park and by the time Edward parked the car, both Jack and Emma woke up from their short nap and were raring to go. The park was the same one where Jack played baseball, so both kids took off running without even looking back once they got out of the car.

Edward grabbed Isabella and pulled her against him, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. In turn, she wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked toward the playground where Jack and Emma were already playing. There was a bench off to the side and Isabella started to walk toward it but Edward shook his head at her and then led her to the swings.

"Come on, love," he said with an irresistible grin as he held the side of a swing out to her so she could sit.

Isabella gaped at him but couldn't help but giggle at how utterly adorable he was. He'd taken off his suit jacket and tie, he'd shed them before they'd even had lunch, and had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt leaving his very sexy forearms uncovered. The sun was shining brightly and as he stood there and the sun bounced off the riotous mess of bronze hair on his head, she was almost rendered speechless by how beautiful he truly was.

Inside and outside.

The swing set was situated in a pit of soft sand so Isabella kicked off her shoes and sat down on the proffered swing. She glanced quickly toward the play structure and laughed at Emma trying to chase Jack across a rope bridge. They would be occupied for some time, she was sure, and before she knew it, could feel Edward begin to gently push her forward.

Neither spoke for another few moments, each totally lost in the comfortable peace and contentment that surrounded them now. Isabella gave way to the gentle swaying back and forth of the swing and enjoyed the feel of the warm sun on her skin. Fall would be approaching soon and days like this would be nonexistent until Spring. More than enjoying the beautiful weather, she enjoyed Edward's soothing and calm presence. If someone would have told her some six odd weeks ago that she would be here, that they would be at this point in their marriage, she would have looked at them like they had two heads. She could admit now, now that they had come together as they had, that there was a part of her that always feared Edward would never be able to face his past or that he would be able to love her as freely and openly as he did now.

And oh, Lord, how he loved her.

She was positively giddy on the inside and found herself overtaken by butterflies in her stomach more times than she could count when she thought about how much he loved her. Little things, like the flower this morning, or the sweet text messages he would send her throughout the day, and even the briefest of touches sent her heart soaring and her mind spinning.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.

He'd been watching her the entire time he'd been pushing her and when the small but very sweet smile graced her beautiful face he felt a smile spread across his as well.

She looked up at him, squinting against the sunlight and said simply, "You."

Edward felt his lips form into the sexy, lazy smirk that his wife loved so much, even though at times it aggravated her to no end, and then said, "There could be worse things, I suppose."

The words were spoken casually, but inside Edward couldn't deny how much her words affected him. Though there was little these days that Isabella did that made him not want to bust out and sing cheesy love songs from the top of his lungs.

"Hmmm," she said back and then giggled when he growled behind her.

They each looked up when Emma's unmistakable peal of laughter floated through the air and when the beautiful little girl waved at them both, they each laughed at her.

Isabella was immediately reminded of what happened earlier in the day and was about to ask Edward about it when he asked, "Does it make you sad that we don't have a child?"

His stomach twisted painfully and as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back. Well, that wasn't one hundred percent honest, but he'd never intended to broach the subject blurting out a question like that seemingly from nowhere. The question had been weighing heavily on him though, there was no doubt about that. All morning at church as he held Emma in his arms, he couldn't help but picture a little girl with a head full of curly brown hair and eyes as green as his or a little boy that had his hair but Isabella's bottomless coffee-colored eyes.

Now that the question had been thrown out there, his mind raced as he fought the conflicting feelings that suddenly appeared. On the one hand, he wanted it with an almost alarming intensity. He wanted to share himself with Isabella in the most profound and intimate of ways and on the other...well, there was that whole he could die at any time thing going on.

He had been warring with himself for weeks now; at night when he held her sleeping form in his arms as he absentmindedly kissed the top of her head or during the ride to and from work on the days Peter drove him, even during meetings that seemed to go on and on, he thought about it. Having a child with Isabella was something he'd never allowed himself to want, but want it he did.

Desperately so in all matter-of-fact.

And therein lay the problem. Wanting it like he did, and he wanted it more and more every day, made him feel so incredibly selfish. How could he possibly justify having a child with Isabella, no matter how badly they both wanted it, not knowing if he'd even be alive when the baby was born? Time was an ever-elusive concept for most people under the best of circumstances; in his, well it was literally like a ticking bomb, one that could go off when he least expected it and rip him away from everything and more importantly everyone he loved.

Isabella.

She was the center of his universe and like he'd told her innumerable times, his everything. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her, nothing he wouldn't give her if it was within his power to do so and if she wanted a baby, how could he refuse her? No matter how uncertain his future was, could he really deny her the gift of a baby, one that was a perfect mixture of him and her, even if he wouldn't be around to enjoy it?

The answer, of course, was a resounding, unequivocal no.

Not just no, but hell no.

All of those thoughts took barely more than a few moments so when Isabella answered, "Sometimes," Edward realized he hadn't even stopped pushing her on the swing.

She heard him suck in a sharp breath and she turned her head quickly. "Edward, stop," she told him when she could practically see his mind whirring and she could definitely see the furrow in his brow.

He looked so sad at that one word that she knew she needed to explain her answer and fast. She reached up and grabbed his hand and pulled him around so that he could sit on the swing next to her. A small part of her recognized how strange it probably looked for them both to be sitting on swings meant for children, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Beautiful, I..." Edward stammered, having no idea at all what he was trying to say.

She reached for his hand and slid her fingers in between each of his and he immediately took a deep breath before he faced her. "That was probably not the best answer I could have given you even though it's true," she told him once she looked at him. At the pained look on his face she squeezed his hand and then said softly, "Sweetheart, how could I not want a baby with you? You are the love of my life and I want nothing more than to have a family...our family. Up until very recently, no matter how badly I wanted it, have always wanted it, it just wasn't possible. You were in no way, shape, or form ready for such a thing and it would have been wholly unfair to pressure you or even ask you to bring a baby into our lives."

"And now?" he questioned in a voice that was just a hint above a whisper.

"We are in a much better place, wouldn't you say?" she asked just as softly.

He pulled their joined hands until her swing moved next to his and then he held her there. "I want to give you everything, Isabella. I just don't..." he said and then swallowed.

"Edward, I'm not telling you I want to have a baby tomorrow, but things are so much better between us now. I can't imagine not starting a family with you," she told him and then reached up and ran her fingers through his hair with the hand he wasn't holding.

He didn't want to do it, but he knew he had to ask the question that had been plaguing him for weeks now. If he didn't there wasn't any way he could even think about having a baby, no matter how much he wanted it. "Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" He was skirting that gray area of not being honest with her, but there was no way he could do anything but be somewhat vague. "If something happened to me, say while you were pregnant, and I wasn't able to be with you, would you still want a baby?"

Isabella's eyes went as wide as he'd ever seen them and he saw them frantically search his face for some hidden clue. After a moment when she'd came to some silent conclusion she answered him. "I can't...don't want to think about something happening to you, Edward. I can't even picture my life without you in it; it hurts too badly to even imagine such a horrible thing," she said shaking her head and tried to keep from bursting into tears at just the merest thought of somehow being without him.

"Love, I'm sorry," he tried to backtrack but damn, he really, REALLY needed her to answer that question.

She took a deep, shuddering breath and realized he was asking for a reason. She assumed it probably had something to do with that mysterious plane ride all those weeks ago so she should answer his 'hypothetical' question as best she could, no matter that just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach. "But, to answer your question, yes, I would still want to have your baby, even if some cruel twist of fate took you away from me. I would always have a part of you with me that way," she said and practically choked on the tears that she tried to keep at bay.

Edward couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face and it only fell a bit when he saw how upset she was. Trying to lighten the mood, he pulled her even closer to him and bent forward to nuzzle the side of her neck below her ear. "Does that mean, Beautiful, we can start practicing? Because, you know," he whispered in a silky smooth voice laden with need, "I'm a total believer in the old adage of practice makes perfect."

She couldn't help but giggle at him. "Yes, I'm quite sure you are."

They both looked up when Emma called for her Aunt Bella because she had to go potty and after telling her to wait just a second, Edward slid off the swing to his knees so he could put Isabella's shoes back on. Once he buckled the second shoe he pulled the swing forward before she could get off it and pressed his lips to hers.

He didn't give it a second's thought that they were in the middle of the park or that it was the middle of the day; all he could think about was how much he loved her and needed her and wanted her...and...and...and...a hundred other things.

His tongue obviously missed being inside her mouth because it had been hours by this point and it tangled and swirled in her mouth like he hadn't kissed her in days or weeks instead of just hours. He groaned in the back of his throat and the vibrations made him grip her hips and pull her even closer. He was about to wrap her legs around him, dress be damned when Emma's sweet voice penetrated through the thick haze of lust he currently found himself in.

"Practice, lots and lots of practice," Isabella panted as she tried to catch her breath.

"I love you, so fucking much, Isabella," he told her as he stared into her eyes.

She gazed back at him, looking deep into his eyes, and then whispered, "I love you, too."

He stood up and dusted off his knees and then helped her up before he kissed her one more time on the lips and then swatted her ass as she walked toward the kids to take them to the bathroom.

As he watched them all walk away, Isabella in the middle holding each of their hands, he smiled.

He hoped there was enough time, because if there was, they were going to have a baby.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**I can hear you all clapping and squeeing from here! Yes, they want to have a baby, is everyone happy now? LOL...Just a warning, and I don't want to be a downer here people, but Edward is still living on borrowed time, don't forget that...but at least he's willing to see what happens. Faith...it can do wonderful things, keep that in mind, okay?**

**Next chapter we'll have some brotherly bonding between Emmett and Edward, a lemon, because it's been way too long, and then we'll see our favorite angel doing what he does best. Oh, we'll also find out what Vincent has been up to! Things are moving right along and there are still plenty of things to get through. Keep reminding yourselves...HEA all the way, baby! Trust me, I have a plan!**

**Be sure to check out the blog, we added a polyvore for this chapter and you can see Seth's shoes...totally something he would wear to annoy Edward!**

**If you get a second, check out: tehlemonadestand(.)blogspot(.)com/p/tls-index-of-featured-fics *TGG is up for Fic of the Month, but there are some other really fabulous stories as well, so vote for your favorite!**

**A quick fic rec for you all, and I wasn't planning on doing this except for the outtakes, but this story deserves all the readers it can get. _Firefly in Summer_ by primarycolors is nothing short of amazing! Please...PLEASE check it out and be sure to tell her I sent you. I promise you won't be sorry and let me know if you start reading...I'd love to discuss! **

**www(.)fanfiction(.)net/s/6672297/1**

**Bonus scene for this week...Emmett and Rose. They have a lot to talk about before they get to the things Em can't think about at church, so review, and I'll send on Wednesday like always. You know where to find me if you need a previous BS!**

**Thanks for all the support, reviews, PM's, Tweets, Retweets...and on and on. You guys are the absolute best and I love each of you madly!**

**See you next Sunday...Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I better have made A LOT of you happy!**


	26. Chapter 26

****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.** **

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, J'me, and Lianne; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**For those of you who celebrate it- Happy Easter! I hope you have a wonderful holiday surrounded by family and friends!**

**Now...on with the story! Oh, and Lemon Alert (Finally!)**

****~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~** **

**Chapter 26**

"Emmett. Jesus, do you think you could slice the ball anymore than that?" Edward laughed as he watched his brother's golf ball go straight for about fifty yards before it took a sharp turn to the right.

"Shut the fuck up, Edward. Not all of us are married to the female version of Tiger Woods you know. Now, help me fix my fucking swing," Emmett grumbled.

Shaking his head while trying to keep from laughing, loudly, at his younger brother, he walked forward and adjusted Emmett's grip on the driver in his hands before standing behind him and moving his hips to square him up behind the ball. "Try that," Edward instructed.

He moved out of Emmett's back swing and then chuckled when Emmett hit the ball straight down the middle of the driving range before it bounced by the 230 yard marker.

"Holy shit!" Emmett crowed and he hurriedly placed another ball on the tee. When he looked up and saw Edward shaking his head, he gave him a calculated look and then asked, "How many yards did Bella add to your drive, Mr. Smugass?"

Edward harrumphed, and then realized Emmett hadn't said anything else. When he looked at him, Emmett crooked his eyebrow expectantly. "Fine, about 40 yards. Happy now?" Edward grumbled and then, well, he couldn't help but smile because he could remember, vividly in all matter-of-fact, just how Isabella had coaxed him to get those 40 yards.

He even groaned a bit when he imagined how it had felt to have her body pressed up tightly against his back as she wrapped her arms around his waist and held his hands in the right grip. He could practically feel the way her nipples brushed back and forth as she moved his hips into the proper position. He'd happily endure more lessons like that; it didn't even matter to him if it helped his golf game any.

He watched Emmett hit another almost picture perfect drive and amended his previous thought. As long as he could still beat Em, Jasper, and Alec he was happy.

Hell, he'd even accidentally on purpose develop a hitch in his swing if it meant more lessons from his delectable wife.

Edward and Emmett hit golf balls for over an hour, talking and enjoying each other's company. It was a gorgeous fall night and because it was now the beginning of October, there was a definite chill in the air as soon as the sun started to set. Isabella was helping Nonna and Renée at church and Edward had figured it was a great opportunity to spend some time away from the office with Emmett, just the two of them.

There wasn't any question that their relationship was in a much better place; hell, it was in a different stratosphere from where it was just a few short months ago. Edward rediscovered all those wonderful things about his brother that he chose to ignore over the years; his sense of humor, even if it did tip toward juvenile and crude from time to time, his ability to get to the heart of a problem without beating around the bush, and his unwavering sense of family and a loyalty that few could match.

For Emmett, it was like meeting his brother for the first time. He was amazed to discover how laid back Edward could be. It wasn't that big of a stretch to imagine how difficult it was to always be on guard, to always be afraid of saying too much or showing too much. Now that Edward didn't have to do that any longer, he most definitely wasn't the Iceman everyone had thought he was for so long.

Emmett found himself mesmerized more often than not at the office. He watched Edward with a new appreciation, marveling at how commanding he was, without seeming overbearing. How he could make decisions in the blink of an eye and never second-guess himself. How - now that he had let his guard down - he seemed to be thriving and how everyone seemed to admire and love him even more because of it.

It would have been easy, he supposed, to be jealous of Edward, but there wasn't a jealous bone to be found in his body, not even a hint of one. Edward was born to be in charge and now that he'd opened himself up and relied on the input of others, well, there was nothing he couldn't do.

Even outside the business aspect of things, the relationship between the two of them was thriving. In the few weeks that had passed since Edward had taken the steps to heal their family, things had decidedly taken a turn for the better. More times than Emmett could count, he'd come home only to find that Edward and Bella had taken the kids either out to dinner, or to the park, or even to the bookstore, just because they felt like it. Or, he would come home and find Edward and Jack in the basement playing the Wii or playing catch in the backyard while Rose and Bella visited in the kitchen with Emma playing happily at their feet. There were even a few times when their parents had joined them as well resulting in impromptu family dinners.

Emmett thought it was all...really fucking great to be perfectly honest.

He knew things were still strained between Edward and their dad, more so than with their mother. If he was being one hundred percent honest, he was more than a bit upset and hurt and disillusioned when it came to his mom and dad and he was struggling with how to deal with that. Hearing everything that Edward had to live through, only to be taken in and summarily ignored again, well, it tore at his heart in ways he couldn't even begin to understand.

Both men noticed that their buckets were empty at about the same time and after putting their golf clubs away in their bags, they walked toward the parking lot.

"Beer?" Emmett asked with a lift of his chin after he'd shut the hatch on the back of the SUV.

"Absolutely," Edward answered immediately and set his clubs in his trunk as well.

Isabella wasn't due to be done helping at the church for a few hours yet and he'd much rather spend that time with Emmett than being at home by himself. It made him pause when he realized how quickly things had changed. For so long he'd tried to find any and all excuse to keep from being at home, alone with Isabella, now it was as though he never wanted to leave, or at the very least, be very far away from her and sure as hell not for very long.

Edward followed Emmett to a bar that was on their way home from the driving range and they both ordered a beer and decided to split a pizza as soon as they sat down. Once the waitress left them their beers, Emmett tipped his toward his brother. "Here's to many more nights hanging out. You're kinda not an ass and pretty fucking cool when you want to be."

"Gee, thanks," Edward said in response and smirked at him across the table.

Both men clinked their bottles together, took a long drink of their beer, and sat for a few moments in a very comfortable silence. Edward tried not to think of the fact that not too long ago he wouldn't be caught dead sitting in a bar with his brother and Emmett tried not to think about the fact that he'd wished he could do something as simple as hang out and drink beer with his brother for longer than he could remember.

The two talked until their pizza came and then they dug in. Every now and then Emmett would make a comment about the baseball game that was playing on the television, but mostly they just ate. Finally, when all but two pieces of pizza were gone, Emmett sat back in the booth and regarded his brother before saying quite softly, "This was...really nice."

Edward had started to pick up his beer to take a drink, but at hearing Em's words, he set the bottle back on the table and looked across at him. "I'm sorry we haven't spent more time together," Edward said, and then began nervously peeling at the label on his beer bottle.

It had been a few weeks since the dinner at his house and though he felt so much better that everything was out in the open, he realized he and Emmett hadn't really had a chance to talk about everything either. His eyes pinched and he could feel himself frown as he remembered how devastated Emmett had been once he'd told them all of his time in Ireland. Emmett wasn't one to hide his emotions, never had been, so Edward was well aware of how much it had hurt Em to hear what he'd lived with for so long.

"Well, I'm just sorry that it took so fucking long to talk about it all. Damn, Edward," Emmett said as he struggled to find the words he'd been desperately trying to say for weeks now. "I just...I wish...fuck," he grunted and then blew out a frustrated breath. "I really fucking wish there was a way to go back and start over, you know? I hate, fucking hate, all the time that we missed. I hate that no one knew what you'd been through. I hate that Grandfather practically stole you away from us before we even had a chance to get to know you. I really, really fucking hate that Mom and Dad didn't try harder to help you," he finished in a tight voice that only underlined how hard it still was for him to come to grips with everything that had happened, both before Edward left Ireland and then after he'd come to Chicago.

Edward stared at him and tried to come up with a response. Finally he offered what little he could. "Em, what's done is done so there isn't any point in dwelling on it any longer. We've all made mistakes, and the only thing we can do now is try to move past them. I'm not sure any of us can...forget...but we can accept and make peace. Like you said, we've wasted a lot of time being angry with one another, and not even really knowing why. I don't know about you, but I'm really fucking exhausted from being so pissed off all the damn time and you have to admit, I'm a much more pleasant fellow to be around these days, yes?"

"God, isn't that the fucking truth?" Emmett grinned and then shook his head. "Are you really okay? I mean, you seem to be and you and Bella...I don't even know how to explain how happy you two look, but you know, I mean...you can talk to me...if you need to...about anything," he stammered out.

Edward felt his heart flutter and he had to adjust himself on the seat of the booth because the moment his mind wandered to his wife, he got hard, just like he always did these days. He could also tell he was sporting the same stupid, goofy grin, just like he always did whenever Isabella came up in conversation.

_Hmmm_ , he thought, _maybe the damn angel has a point with all his sighing and ogling_...not that he would ever, EVER, admit that out loud. The being was annoying as all get out on a normal basis; there was no telling what Seth would do if he were to ever find out that Edward didn't mind anywhere near as much as he pretended in regard to the angel's appreciation of his wife.

"I am happy," Edward said somewhat dreamily not even stopping to mind that he probably sounded like a pansy ass.

"It's about fucking time, and you deserve it more than anyone," Emmett answered him immediately.

Edward didn't comment on that because he didn't really know what to say. They ordered another round of beers and when the waitress dropped them off at the table, Edward made sure to tell her thank you. He got a flash of a memory from years ago, of being rude to the poor flight attendant that happened to be working when he and Isabella had flown to Italy for their honeymoon and he cringed at the memory.

God he really had been quite the insufferable ass.

Emmett raised his eyebrow at Edward when he saw him shake his head. "What?"

"How in the world did all of you put up with me for all those years?" Edward asked incredulously. "Just thinking back on how I acted and some of the things I said, my God, Em, I was such a bastard."

Emmett slammed his hand on the table and then took a deep breath to keep from saying something he would regret later. "Edward," he said then snapped his mouth shut so he could exhale out of his nose. This time his voice was much calmer when he began to speak. "I won't blow sunshine up your ass and tell you that you were a peach to be around, but honestly, you weren't as bad as you think you were. On top of that, we all got used to it over time anyway."

He took a breath and he could tell Edward was about to disagree, but really, Emmett couldn't stand for Edward to castigate himself any more. He just...couldn't. "God damn it, no, Edward. You did the best you could, considering all the bullshit you were dealing with. None of us tried to help you, so it's a wonder you even bothered talking to us at all," he finished and then hung his head.

"Ah, fuck, Emmett," Edward huffed. "I'm sorry," and when Emmett glared at him, he lifted his hands to tell him to wait. "I didn't mean to bring this up and ruin a great night; we just haven't had much time to talk is all."

Emmett leaned his back against the booth and looked at his brother for a long moment before he said, "I know. I needed some time to let everything kind of sink in, you know? I hope you don't think I just blew everything off. I guess it wouldn't surprise me if you did, but, Christ, Ed, that was a hell of a lot to think about."

"No, I didn't think that," Edward stated. "I know you have questions, ask them, and then we can clear the air and be done." When Emmett's jaw dropped, Edward snickered at him and then rolled his eyes. "Really, Em, it's fine. Ask what you want to know."

So he did...for a good solid hour Emmett peppered Edward with question after question. Some were rather out of left field, some were right on the money and made Edward cringe, but he'd told Emmett to ask whatever he wanted to know and he meant it. By the time they paid their check and walked out to their cars, the two men were even closer than they were when they'd first arrived.

Edward thought over all the questions during his fifteen minute drive home but the moment he turned down the street to his house, the only thing he could think about was Isabella. He had hardly seen her at all during the day because they were both busy with meetings and then she'd left early to go meet Renée and Nonna. He really fucking missed her as crazy as that sounded, but he didn't much care.

He parked the car in the garage and hurried inside the house, feeling his heart rate spike as soon as he'd closed the door behind him. She wasn't anywhere to be found downstairs so he quickly raced up the stairs. He knew she was home, her car was in the garage, and when he turned left at the top of the stairs he heard the shower as he got closer to their bedroom door. He started taking his shirt off before he'd even opened the bedroom door and in the blink of an eye had gotten completely undressed, leaving a trail of clothing, shoes, and even keys and cell phone on the floor in his wake. He didn't care, the only thing he was focused on was the fact that she was naked and he wanted her.

He always wanted her. Every second of every day it seemed like and if that was supposed to bother him...well, it didn't...not even a little bit.

Quietly he opened the door and was inundated with steam, which was just fine with him because it allowed him to enter unnoticed. He could make out her silhouette, though just barely, but what he saw was enough to make him harder than he was already. She was humming as she stood under the water, with her head tipped back and he watched, transfixed, as the water cascaded over her body. He watched her as long as he could stand it, which really wasn't that long at all and when she turned around and hung her head beneath the streaming water, he opened the door to the shower and stepped in behind her.

"I was wondering how long you were going to wait," she told him as soon as he pressed his body against hers.

She lifted her head up and then shifted her weight so he was aligned perfectly with her body. She fit perfectly in front of him as was apparent when his hardened length was nestled right up against her ass. His hands slid around her waist and then covered her breasts. She lolled her head backward, tilting her head to the side so that he could kiss up and down the side of her neck.

"I missed you today," he whispered as he flicked her pulse point with his tongue.

She relaxed against him even more, enjoying the feel of his hands as they traveled over her body and the way the warm water softly pelted her skin. "Mmmm, missed you, too," she said in a raspy voice and her breath caught in her throat when he pinched a nipple, rolling the sensitive flesh between his fingers.

"I need you, now," he told her as he spun her around and then lifted her up. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and when her back touched the cool marble of the shower, she barely noticed. All she could see and feel was him.

He was so hard, so ready, and apparently so was she because she slid down his length with no trouble at all. He dipped his hips and then thrust one time, hissing in pleasure as she settled around him.

"Oooh...Edward," she breathed out, caught by surprise at the warmth that spread through her body the instant he was inside of her.

"Kiss me," he told her and growled just a bit, though the sound echoed off the walls of the shower, when she reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled his head down to hers.

Their mouths fused together with her top lip between both of his. For just a moment, they both stilled, breathing the same breath in the steamy shower. It had only been hours since they'd seen each other, but you would have thought it had been days or weeks the way they craved each other. Isabella slid her lips back and forth across his, relishing how they felt and tasted, and then let her tongue drag across his bottom one. Slowly and gently, which was the exact opposite of what her mind and body were telling her, she pressed her tongue into his mouth, groaning softly in the back of her throat as his taste exploded in her mouth. She kissed him until she had her fill, well actually it was more like until she saw stars because she wasn't breathing and then moved from his lips to the spot where his neck and his shoulders met. As she lapped up the water, she wondered how it could taste like him.

His fingers kneaded the muscles in her ass as he pressed her against the wall of the shower. He dipped his head so he could reciprocate her actions and when he did, he could feel her breasts firmly against his chest, especially her nipples.

Lifting one hand from her ass, he covered a breast with his hand and then rubbed his thumb across the sensitive peak. As soon as he did so, he felt her clench around him and the flood of heat that suddenly appeared he knew had nothing to do with the warm water of the shower and everything to do with him.

God how he loved the way she responded to him, the way he knew exactly how to touch her, to move inside of her to elicit those sweet and fucking sexy little whimpers and moans that he knew as well as he knew her voice. He knew that she loved to have the skin on in the inside of hipbones rubbed in a circle, how she loved to have the spot behind her ear sucked just right, but she didn't like him to kiss her earlobe. He knew, for some unfathomable reason, her left breast was more sensitive than her right, and that without fail, she would come, and come hard, if he breathed in her ear at the same time his fingers rubbed her clit.

He knew her...mind, body, heart, and soul and she knew him the same way and it was the best fucking feeling in the whole world.

Well, besides being inside of her and as soon as he had that thought, he began to move. Slow and steady, with long, deep strokes, he moved.

"Ah...God, so good," she breathed against his neck as she clung to him.

Grunting, he said, "Fuck, yes."

He rolled his hips and she squeezed him tightly, both around his neck and around his length, deep inside of her. Her nails scratched his scalp when she ran her hands through his hair and he sucked in a breath through his nose.

"I fucking love when you do that. Do it again," he told her as he bent his head down and breathed in her ear.

When she did it again, he felt himself grow even harder inside of her.

"Faster, Edward. I'm so close," she panted in his ear.

"Kiss me again, Beautiful," he demanded.

She did as he asked and as soon as their tongues twisted and twirled he started pumping faster. His legs burned but he didn't care. He heard the telltale hitch in her breathing and the squeak that always meant she was close.

"Come, baby." He wanted, needed, to feel her come around him before he let go, but it was getting harder to hang on. He spread his legs just a bit more and tilted her forward just enough so that he hit that perfect spot deep inside of her. When she threw her head backward, stretching her elegant neck, he knew she would let go any moment. "That's it, come for me."

Her walls fluttered and spasmed as her orgasm flowed through her body. He cupped her ass in his hands and thrust, one time, inside of her and then felt his own orgasm, shivering as he came hard in a few powerful bursts. Limply, she sagged against him when he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her.

"Love you," she murmured in his ear and then voiced her displeasure when he slid from her body.

"Love you, too," he said with a grin once she was standing up, though a bit wobbly, when he put her down. He kissed her forehead and then her lips, saying sweetly, "I love coming home to you like that. I hate when we're not together, but that certainly makes up for it."

They finished their shower, taking time to wash each other's hair and body and by the time they got out, the water had turned cold. She giggled and rolled her eyes at him when they walked out of the bathroom and she took in the mess he'd left on the floor.

"What? I heard you in the shower. You know I can never resist when you're naked," he told her with a sexy smile and then picked his things off the floor.

Once they'd dressed, or not dressed for bed as the case was, they crawled into bed.

"How was your evening with Emmett?" she asked once she'd found her happy place on his chest.

He didn't stop running his fingers through her hair, but he didn't answer right away either. After a few minutes he sighed. "It was really great. We got a chance to really talk about everything, got some shit straightened out, so it was good. I just...I wish," he stumbled and she immediately raised her head and turned, resting her chin on his chest while she looked at him.

"What, sweetheart?" she questioned, though not with a hint of anything other than encouragement.

He'd done so well dealing with everything, so much so, she had a hard time not waiting for the other shoe to drop. They'd spent a lot of time talking, while they were curled up in bed, sitting outside on the deck, or when they cooked dinner together, about everything. He was still very angry and hurt, and she didn't blame him in the least; she was, too, and he didn't blame her either. It was a lot to process, a lot to come to terms with and they were taking it day by day. They didn't talk about his past or his parents every day, but each knew if something was bothering them, they could talk about it. It was very freeing to know that they had that level of trust with each other and it only cemented their bond to each other even more.

"I really fucking hate that Emmett is mad at Carlisle and Esme. I mean, I understand it, but I don't like it. I just want all this shit to be behind us, you know? Now that everything is out there, I want to leave the past in the past," he huffed and then adjusted them so they were lying face to face on their sides.

"Edward, you know that just because you've forgiven Carlisle and Esme doesn't mean everyone can forget what happened. They have their own failures to deal with and it's not easy, especially for someone like Carlisle. Forgiveness doesn't automatically make things all better, it just makes it easier to go forward," she told him while she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I am still so mad at myself for hurting you the way I did," he told her in a pained voice. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't forgiven me. I don't deserve you, but I'm so fucking grateful you did."

Forcefully, she held his face in her small but very strong hands and then rolled over so she was on top of him. Looking down into his eyes, she said in a fierce voice that was full of all the love she had for him, "You do deserve me, Edward, just like I deserve you. We were meant to be together, don't you know that? There isn't anyone that could make me as happy as I am or feel as loved as I do but you. You say I am your reason, but don't you know by now you're my reason, too, my everything? There is no me without you..." Her chin quivered but she kept staring into his eyes, willing him to understand the depth of her love for him and her unwavering belief in what she'd said.

"Ah, fuck, Isabella," he groaned and then crushed her body to his. His mouth was on hers instantly and he kissed her until all the chaotic thoughts he had calmed so he could focus solely on her.

When he pulled back he pushed her hair back over her shoulder with one hand and with the other traced the friendship bracelet on her wrist. "I do think we were meant to be together, but I still have such a hard time forgiving myself for hurting you the way I did. I wasted so much time, love, time that I'd give anything to have back so that I could love you the way I've always wanted to. Time that we could have spent starting our family or time that we could have just spent together. I'll never get that back, no matter how happy I am now."

He really hadn't meant for the conversation to take the turn it did, but he couldn't stop it now. Of course he lived with those thoughts every day, they never went away, and he didn't think they ever would. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he ever wanted them to. He hated living with the constant reminder of all the pain he'd caused her, but it helped him make damn sure to appreciate every day with her all the more.

He really didn't think there was too much wrong with that.

"Oh, Edward," she sighed in a much softer tone. She scooted down his chest and he tucked her head beneath his chin. Slowly she began to run her fingers through the hair on his chest and then quietly said, "We've been given a second chance and I, for one, am not going to waste it by living in the past. You have to let it go, sweetheart. You didn't hurt me on purpose and I know that, especially now. We have our whole lives together; let's focus on that, okay? Neither one of us knows what the future looks like, but I know as long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter."

Edward couldn't help but squeeze her tightly and he tried with all his might not to let her see just how much her words had affected him, only because if she asked, he would tell her everything and he wasn't sure that was such a good idea. Somehow he figured there were rules against that or some shit, and he most definitely did not want to go about breaking any. He figured it was much better to be safe than sorry in this particular instance.

After another moment, he slid her off his chest so she could roll over and he could wrap his arms around her. He pulled her to him, and then sighed into her hair. "I love you, Isabella. I'll love you forever," he told her softly.

"I know. I love you, too, and we'll always be a part of each other," she said right before she drifted off to sleep.

He closed his eyes, letting her scent and her love surround them and as he followed her in sleep, he got that warm feeling he always did when the angel was hovering.

"Thank you," Edward murmured and immediately felt a kiss to his forehead. "Damn angel," he barely whispered before falling completely asleep.

He missed the look of supreme satisfaction and love as well as the twinkle in Seth's eyes before he disappeared, leaving his two favorite humans wrapped in each other's arms.

**~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~**

"Donna, will you check with the caterers and make sure they'll have everything set up in time?" Edward asked and then smiled as he released the button on the intercom on his desk.

"Are you nervous?" the angel smirked from the corner.

Edward snorted and rolled his eyes but didn't comment. Instead he finished what he was working on and then looked at Seth.

"The only thing I'm nervous about is the fact that she's going to kill me for making such a big deal about this," Edward said and then literally cringed when he thought about all the different ways the afternoon could go.

Seth laughed loudly and Edward raised his eyebrows at him. "It wasn't that funny," he mumbled and tried like hell not to smile himself.

For the past few weeks Edward had been working with Jasper to change the business plan for CP and make sure everything was legal and air tight. It's not like Isabella didn't know he was naming her his successor, but he'd purposely not mentioned anything about any sort of formal recognition ceremony. It was bit macabre he supposed, to make a celebration out of the fact that he was letting everyone know what would happen when he died, but no one besides himself and the annoying being in the corner knew it would become necessary sooner rather than later.

His sole purpose in making such a big deal out of it was to show her that everyone, not just him and the family, had the utmost faith in her as a businesswoman, not just as his wife. She'd more than proven herself over the past few weeks as her project with Emmett continued to garner countrywide attention and praise from all directions.

He'd said it before and he would continue saying it over and over again, he was so fucking proud of her he could hardly stand it. She'd thrived with each success and at night when they were at home talking about their days, she had idea after idea that she couldn't wait to share with him and he loved every fucking minute of it. She was the smartest person he knew, and he could, and often did, spend hours just listening to her talk. Not just about work either, but everything: sports, current events, popular culture and serious topics like religion and politics, too. She was most passionate when she talked about her work with the after school program and her next project was going to be a literacy campaign to help the programs like the one she volunteered in.

Yep, he was proud as a peacock and didn't try to hide it in the least.

"You invited her family as well as Carlisle and Esme I take it?" Seth questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, and you damn well know I did, too," Edward remarked.

The angel chuckled again. "Eddie, you just make it so easy sometimes. You would really think by now you would know better."

"Hmph," Edward snorted and then took a moment to look through the papers Jasper had left him one more time.

Seth let him be, choosing to instead think about the past few weeks and how far Edward had come since he'd finally told his family everything. There were good days and bad of course; it would be wholly unreasonable to assume or expect that there wouldn't be instances when the residual hurt and anger Edward still had would come out, but it was less than Seth had anticipated. There were moments of awkwardness toward Carlisle and Esme and there were uncomfortable discussions with Jasper and Alec when they had questions, but all in all, things were progressing better than he'd ever hoped.

When Edward and Isabella had the discussion about children, it had...well for lack of a better way of saying it...it had shocked the shit out of him. The others of his kind had taken great pleasure at his utter surprise. Even Gideon hadn't been able to hide his mirth as his ice blue eyes twinkled more than all the stars in the sky. Seth of course knew that Edward had thought of having or not having children with Isabella, they'd discussed it plenty of times, but the fact that he'd been so ready to talk about it the day after revealing everything to his family and friends had completely blindsided him.

Like he'd commented many, many times, Edward didn't do anything halfway.

When he questioned him about it at the first opportunity, the reason Edward had given him had rendered him speechless, a feat that was becoming more commonplace with each passing day, much to his consternation. He'd told him, very simply, that when, not if, because he'd given up using that word some time ago, his time was up, Isabella wouldn't be alone. The support system she and any child they would be blessed enough to have was so big and so strong, he was sure they would see her through even the darkest of days and times.

"She loves you too much to kill you my friend, and we all know the lovely Isabella can't hold a grudge, at all," he grinned, showing his perfect teeth.

"No, she really can't, but Lord knows I've been on her bad side. I love Isabella when she's feisty, though not particularly when it's directed at me," Edward answered with a grin of his own.

Of course his grin was for a much different reason, at least it better be. Picturing his wife when she got all riled up about something never failed to turn him on, so the cheeky angel better not be implying the same thing or there would be...well, he would be in trouble.

Seth smiled at Edward and then in a more serious tone said, "Edward Anthony, come sit for a minute. We have some time before the others get here and I want to talk to you."

Edward's stomach tightened but he did as he was asked and took a seat on the couch, looking at Seth with a terrified look on his face, one which caused the angel to snigger.

"Edward, you look like you're going to be sick! Come now, do you really think I would do anything to ruin Isabella's day? We haven't had much time to talk lately that's all," Seth told him with a slight shake of his head. Once Edward took a deep breath, he went on. "How are you feeling about everyone being together again now that they've all had some time to digest everything you told them?"

"Ah, I think it will be good. Things are still kind of strained with Mother and Carlisle but with everyone else, things are really good," he said, sounding very much at peace.

Seth prodded a bit because Edward did indeed sound relaxed, well for him any rate, and asked, "Do you think you'll ever acknowledge Carlisle as your father? It seems that no matter how angry and hurt you were by your adoptive parents, Esme has always been Mother but Carlisle has never been Father."

Edward inhaled deeply through his nose and then leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs and then turned to look at Seth. He'd often wondered the same thing, many times in fact, especially as he and Isabella spent more and more time talking and even more so when the subject of children came up, as it did frequently these days. "Maybe, if there was enough time," he answered Seth. "I don't exactly have a positive reaction when I hear the word father, you know?"

"Considering what you and Isabella have been discussing of late, don't you think you might want to try?" the all-knowing angel asked with a raised eyebrow.

The angel was right, as he always was when he tried to make Edward admit something he didn't want to and Edward didn't like it any more in this case than he had in any of the others either.

Damn it all.

Edward didn't say anything but he didn't need to for Seth to know he'd gotten his point across. "Look, Edward, I'm certainly not going to tell you that you have to start calling Carlisle Daddy and go out and buy him one of those obnoxious t-shirts that proclaim him the 'World's Greatest Father' but it is something to think about just the same. If you are looking for positive role models for how a father should act, you don't have to look any farther than Charlie or Emmett. Both epitomize what the word means and you couldn't do much better than to emulate either one of them."

"You got that right. Charlie and Emmett are both amazing fathers. Maybe you need to have the right genes or some shit to be a good father, that would explain Carlisle I suppose, considering we all know Grandfather would never win any father of the year awards," Edward huffed.

"That is certainly true, Edward, but humans are, for the most part, very flawed beings. Your Grandfather made his own mistakes, ones that though Carlisle didn't intentionally set to repeat, he did nonetheless. However, the thing that separates your Grandfather and Carlisle the most is the fact that Carlisle is well aware of the mistakes he's made and is truly remorseful for them," the patient angel said in a sincere voice.

Edward made some sort of sound that was a cross between a snort and a scoff before saying, "Well, he's certainly acting like he's trying hard, I'll give him that much."

"He's doing more than acting, my friend, and you acting like a spoiled brat about it doesn't become you in the least, you know," Seth remarked with a very pointed glance.

Properly chastised, Edward sat back. "Twenty years of behavior is kind of hard to change overnight so cut me a damn break, okay. And, I know that tone, so why don't you tell me what you mean by that comment instead of reprimanding me like I was a child."

Seth let Edward's belligerence slide, only because it was done more out of reflex than anything and because he did have a point. Edward had a stubborn streak that was a mile wide and he'd fallen back on it and used it as a defense mechanism for more than half his life. No one, not even Seth, could expect him to completely let go of that this quickly. The only person that he didn't use it with was the lovely Isabella and that was because, well, she was Isabella.

Seth arranged himself in the chair and then looked at his charge. He had been waiting to bring this next topic up until just the right time and considering the turn the conversation had taken, he figured that time had come.

After Edward had shared his secrets and his painful past with his family all those weeks ago, Seth had left him in the very capable hands of his wife and instead, spent some time observing Carlisle and Esme on their way home. He was most glad he did because although he was certain that both Carlisle and Esme were sorry for what they had and hadn't done in regard to Edward, witnessing their naked and raw remorse was at once both moving and hard to watch. If he'd had any doubt, and he admitted to having a little, about Carlisle's sincerity, he didn't after hearing and seeing what he had. He knew Edward needed to know, too, so that he could truly open himself up to the new relationship he was trying to build with the man that was his father in every sense of the word.

"Edward, you know by now that I can do many things so it shouldn't come as a surprise to you that after you had talked to your family, I spent some time observing Carlisle and Esme after they left your house. Let me assure you my friend, there is nothing either of them want more than to earn your love and forgiveness and to be allowed to be the parents they should have been from the very beginning," Seth told him.

Edward sucked in a sharp breath and then ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to keep his composure. He wasn't sure why the angel's words affected him so much, but they did and his heart was positively pounding in his chest. Actually he knew exactly why he was reacting the way he was; Seth had never lied to him, he couldn't, so he knew that what he just told him was the truth, a truth Edward desperately wanted to believe.

"What did you hear?" Edward questioned, and it tore at Seth's heart to hear the vulnerability that Edward tried so hard to keep buried in his voice.

Seth closed his eyes, though he didn't need to because his kind had perfect recall, but he did it just the same and was immediately transported backward. Keeping his eyes closed, he began to speak in the quietest, gentlest voice Edward had heard yet and Edward stared, transfixed, as his guide began to speak.

"If there was ever a time I wished I could read minds, it was then, Edward Anthony, because neither one spoke much during the drive home, but you could certainly tell they were both deep in thought. The anguish and the guilt just poured out of them, so much so it was like they were inside an impenetrable bubble. They didn't even touch each other, which you know is not the norm for your parents. Carlisle asked Esme one time during the entire drive if she was okay, but she was so overcome with everything she couldn't even answer him, she just nodded her head.

"When they arrived at their house, neither one made an attempt to exit the car and go in the house, they were just...numb. Finally Carlisle prodded her to get out and they walked, silently, into the house and you could tell the moment they did so, the atmosphere changed. I can't really explain it but to say it was if the weight of all they'd done wrong suddenly surrounded them and they couldn't make it another step. They both collapsed on the floor, crying in each other's arms. Edward, please make no mistake, I know, more than anyone, perhaps even you, just how greatly they failed you, but I have never seen such anguish or remorse from two people as I did when they cried to each other. They do love you, more than you can probably imagine, and they are hurting and so very, very sorry. The last thing Carlisle told Esme, after she'd asked him how to earn your forgiveness was," and the angel repeated verbatim what he'd heard, _"'We try, Es, every damn day, to be the parents we should have been all this time. Me more than you; you've always let him know how much you've loved him, even if he didn't acknowledge it. Me? I've squandered away twenty years that I can't ever get back, but I can make sure to embrace this second chance he's given me and I fully intend to do just that.'"_

Seth looked into the shell-shocked look of his charge and smiled lovingly at him. "Edward, they love you, both of them. Carlisle has to learn to forgive himself so that he can move forward with you. You, my young and very stubborn friend, must learn to forgive yourself for hurting Isabella, as well. I know you love her, Isabella knows you do, too, but until you let go of that last bit of self-hatred you're clinging to, you won't be completely at peace. She's forgiven you, Edward, it's time to forgive yourself. Just like Carlisle must forgive himself in order to embrace, fully, the second chance you've given him. You don't have to forget your mistakes, you won't ever, but you do have to stop dwelling on them."

Edward sighed deeply, breathing in and out a few times and then pinched the bridge of his nose before turning to Seth. "I know," he said, and the angel was pleased as could be that the words weren't tinged with reticence, but instead a firm resolve to do just that. "I don't want Carlisle living everyday in the past. It's time for all of us to stop looking behind and focus on what's in front of us, though for some of us, the horizon is much shorter."

Seth didn't comment on that, because he couldn't. Anything he said would be a hollow platitude and he and Edward were way past them anyway. Trying to lighten the mood after the heavy conversation they'd just had because it was almost time for the others to arrive, the being said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "Well, if the lovely Isabella kills you for springing this impromptu get together on her, you won't have to wonder anymore when your time will be up, will you?"

"Ah, shit, you don't really think she's going to be _that_ mad at me do you?" Edward squeaked and then swallowed convulsively.

It went without saying how much he really fucking hated when she was mad at him! It was something he avoided at all costs actually. That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy teasing her when he was in one of his moods just to see how far he could push her, but he certainly never got her angry on purpose. He was an idiot at times, but not even he was stupid enough to provoke her on purpose.

"Relax, Eddie, what's the worst she can do? You and I both know you don't ever mind when a bit of that Italian temper comes to light. Now, if I'm not mistaken, and you know I'm not ever wrong, it's time to head downstairs to the reception room and get ready for this long awaited presentation," the cheeky angel said with a shit-eating grin.

"It would help a whole fucking lot if you didn't seem to enjoy it when I screwed up so damn much," Edward grumbled as he stood up and put his suit jacket on.

"And deny myself one of my favorite pleasures? No way," Seth said before disappearing, though it would only be for a few minutes.

"Damn bossy, smart ass, annoying angel," Edward muttered as he stepped on the elevator to go down to the reception room and quickly said a prayer that Isabella didn't kill him.

Isabella walked into the reception room and when she noticed her parents and Nonna standing with Alice, Carlisle, and Esme, she knew something was up and she had a feeling she knew what it was. She should have known the second her assistant, Meredith, reminded her that she had blocked off her calendar from 2:00 on that something was going on, she just didn't think it would be _this_.

Her husband, she swore to herself and shook her head.

"Bambola!" Charlie said loudly when he noticed his daughter approaching. He was so damn proud of her he could hardly stand it, and he wanted everyone to know it, too.

"Dad," Isabella greeted him with a smile and then let herself be wrapped up in a tight hug.

"Now you listen to me, daughter of mine, no getting upset with Edward, you hear me? He really wanted to do this for you, it's important to him that everyone knows that you have his full support and faith, not because you're his wife but because you are qualified to run this show if it ever came down to it," Charlie told her in his no-nonsense way, though it was tinged with an overflowing amount of love and happiness.

Isabella felt any residual annoyance over today's events melt away and then nodded at her father. It went without saying the immense joy she got from watching the two most important men in her life bond the way they had and it was one she knew each treasured beyond measure. For her dad, he got the son, the partner in crime he'd always wanted and for her amazing husband, he got the acceptance and the guidance that he'd craved for so long from a man he looked up to more than anyone.

She made the rounds hugging and kissing her mom and Nonna, visiting with a very enthusiastic Alice and then catching up with Carlisle and Esme for a few minutes. She was quite surprised, and more than a little relieved she had to admit, at how easy it was to be at ease around Carlisle and Esme, though she figured a lot of that had to do with how Edward acted when he was around them. Of course when Esme looked like she did now, with a mother's beaming smile, it didn't hurt.

She turned around, knowing Edward had walked in. She couldn't help but giggle at how apprehensive he looked as he approached and she thought, for like half a second, to try to scowl at him, but she just couldn't do it. Stepping forward she immediately wrapped her arms around him and stood on her tiptoes to give him a full-on, lip-smacking kiss.

"Does that mean you're not mad at me, Beautiful?" he asked her as he kissed her forehead.

"I know this is important to you, so no, I'm not mad at you."

"Thank God," he breathed out exaggeratedly and then winked at her. "I was worried all damn day."

The formal part of the announcement passed and Isabella couldn't help but feel her heart soar as she listened to Edward extol on how capable she was. She listened to him say how Cullen Publishing was lucky to have her and how everyone from him down to the interns that worked part-time had the utmost faith in her abilities. It threatened to bring tears to her eyes, but more than that, she found that she stood up taller, straighter because she was proud to be thought of as so capable. The fact that Edward had so much faith in her made her happier than she could explain, though she had every intention of trying, numerous times, when they got home later.

Preferably when they were both naked.

A short time later, as she received congratulations from some of the department heads, Alec cornered her. "So, are you letting him off the hook for this little shindig?" he asked with a grin as he popped an hors d'ouerve in his mouth.

"I suppose I'll let it slide," she chuckled back at him.

"Seriously, Bella, this is a big deal. I know it seems a little...dark I guess...to be celebrating something that would only take place if something happened to Edward, but if you think about it in terms of him telling the world you are the best person to take over, it's well...it's fucking huge," Alec told her.

She sighed and then smiled sweetly when she spied Edward holding Emma as he talked to Rose and Alice. "His faith in me blows me away, but I am proud of the fact he thinks I can do it, and the rest of you, too. I'm honored actually, not that I even want to think about it, mind you."

Jasper had walked up and slung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the side of the head. "Darlin', I'm so proud of you. Though, if the time ever came, you have one less thing to worry about than before," he said with a glint in his eyes.

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about?" Alec asked.

Jasper motioned them both closer, though he hadn't moved his arm from around Bella. Conspiratorially he whispered, "I just heard from one of my buddies down at the Merc, Vincent is about to be voted out at Sinclair Publishing. Apparently the Board has caught wind of all the shady deals he's been involved in and he's overextended the company so much that the banks have started calling in their loans and there isn't enough money to pay them. More than likely Sinclair Publishing is going to have to file bankruptcy but Vince is definitely out as CEO."

"Fuck yeah, that bastard is getting what he deserved." Alec cackled gleefully and then crooked his eyebrow when he noticed the frown on Bella's face.

"Honey, what in the world is the matter with you?" he asked incredulously.

"All those poor employees," Isabella said immediately, thinking of all the people that would be without jobs once Sinclair Publishing filed for bankruptcy. All because of Vincent and his greed.

"And, that, Darlin', is why you are better than all of us put together. Only you would think of the people who worked for Vincent first," Jasper said and couldn't help but kiss her cheek again.

Isabella blushed, as she normally did when under such scrutiny, and then rolled her eyes at Jasper's comments. "Well, none of the people that work for Vincent should have to suffer for his mistakes, it's just a shame that's all."

"You don't fool me for a second, Isabella Cullen, if you could find a way to give every one of those people a job, you'd do it in a heartbeat," Alec told her and didn't even try to hide the adoration in his voice for his friend.

Isabella scoffed but as soon as she was about to say something she felt a tug on her hand and smiled when she saw it was Jack, dressed in his jersey from the Chicago Fire soccer game he'd attended with her, Edward, and Charlie. According to Rose he hadn't taken it off in the two days since they'd gone.

The game had been beyond fun, not just because the game itself was exciting, but because they all had enjoyed themselves so much. Charlie and Edward talked throughout most of the game, that was when Jack wasn't seated between the two of them soaking everything up. Edward had been adorable to the extreme as he peppered her with question after question about the mechanics of the game, along with asking her about her own memories from when she had played. He was totally enthralled and looked at her like he'd just discovered her secrets all over again. The questions continued long after they'd gotten home as she told him stories she hadn't thought about in years. Afterward, they had made love so tenderly that the memory brought tears to her eyes as well as making her wish they could hurry up and go home.

"Aunt Bella, can I have a piece of cake?" Jack asked and looked at her like she was the best thing since sliced bread. He loved his Uncle Edward and thought he was pretty cool, but his Aunt Bella, well the only people he loved more were his mom and dad, and in his way of thinking, they didn't count because they were, well, Mom and Dad.

"Sure thing, buddy. If you promise not to tell your mom, I'll even give you an extra big piece, okay?" Isabella said with a wink as she led him toward the tables where the food was spread out.

She got Jack his cake and then stood with him as he ate, asking about school and his next baseball game. She felt that tingling feeling she always got when Edward was either close by or looking at her and when she looked up, she lost her breath for a moment. He was still standing with Rose and Alice, but now also Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Jasper, and he was still holding Emma. He was holding her hand and they were waving at her, with silly smiles on their faces and she wasn't sure she'd ever seen a sweeter sight.

The next thought she had was that she couldn't wait until it was their son or daughter he held in his arms. Blowing a kiss at him, she vowed that they would indeed be practicing when they got home.

**~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~**

**Well, there you have it. What did you think? I hope you enjoyed seeing Edward and Emmett spend some quality time together. From the bonus scene, you all know poor Em has been struggling with everything he learned about Edward, Carlisle, and Esme but he loves Edward so much and just wants him to be happy. How about our favorite angel? He sure does like to push E's buttons, doesn't he? But that talk was an important one and hopefully that final push Edward needed to let go of all his guilt and stop dwelling on the past. And Vincent, we won't be seeing him again!**

**Next chapter...goodness what can I say? It's HUGE for a few reasons, though probably not what you all are thinking! Hmmm, well Edward does something for a surprise for Isabella, something which she will most definitely love. And...finally...we meet Sophie! I've been so excited to get to this part! I can't wait to hear what you think of her. Look on the blog this week, we'll have a few pic teases for you! You'll love them I think!**

**And because I haven't said this in what, a week...keep the faith okay? Keep believing in me and the fact I've promised a HEA! You'll see, trust me!  
**

**A lot of you have asked how long TGG will be, and barring any unforeseen bumps in the road, I still have it planned for 31 chapters. Chapter 30 will be the final one and the Epilogue will be Chapter 31. So...only 5 left * Sobs ***

**The bonus scene this week will be a peek into Jasper and Alec. We haven't heard from them in a bit and I don't know about you, but I'm dying to know what they've been thinking since Edward's whole story came to light. So, if you want to know, review and I'll send it along with the review reply on Wednesday like always. If you're missing any Bonus Scenes, you know where to find me.**

**Thanks for all the support, reviews, PM's, Tweets, Retweets...and on and on. You guys are the absolute best and I love each of you madly!**

**See you next Sunday...Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I haven't heard from some of you in awhile and that makes me nervous...and a bit sad!**

**Happy Easter!**


	27. Chapter 27

****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.** **

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, and J'me; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

***For my friends Anna, Becky, Robin, Carla and any others affected by the devastation of the tornadoes and flooding recently, know that our prayers and thoughts are with you and your families. Stay strong and keep the faith! This chapter is especially dedicated to you all. For those of you wanting to help, please contact:**

**'Tuscaloosa Disaster Relief Fund' has been created & is tax deductible. Checks may be made out to that name and mailed to PO Box 020410, Tuscaloosa, AL 35402. Call 205-748-7588 for more info.**

**Or you may contact the Red Cross to donate. I know there is also a fandom fundraiser- Fandom4Storms- which I have already signed up to participate in. More information on that will be coming shortly!**

**Now...on with the story...this is the longest chapter yet, Enjoy!**

**~*~*~Lemon Alert~*~*~  
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**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 27**

"I can't believe you are doing this without telling Isabella first," the angel said for the hundredth time from the passenger seat in Edward's car.

"Yes, so you've told me, over and over and fucking over again," Edward huffed and squeezed the steering wheel while he drove as they headed toward Chicago.

Seth snorted and shook his head. He had to admit the sentiment was awesome, he just wasn't sure the lovely Isabella would find it as such, at least not without telling her first. He crossed one jean-clad leg over the other and stared at Edward for a moment. Yep, his young friend was dead set on going through with his plan so there was no point in trying to talk him out of it. The way his jaw was set and the dip between his eyebrows were telltale signs, as Seth knew better than just about anyone, so rather than express his opinion again, he probed.

"What made you decide to get it?" the nosy angel asked.

They had talked about it before, but Edward kept changing the subject, as he was apt to do when he was uncomfortable talking about something. But, here now, in a car when it was just the two of them, even though only one could be seen by passersby, Edward didn't have an escape. Seth gleefully thought of all the things he could talk about with Edward because he had no way to get away, but decided, for the moment anyway, to concentrate on the subject at hand.

Edward didn't answer the pushy being, though he did, as had become habit, rub the spot on his chest right above his heart. It was the place Isabella fell asleep every night, and because what laid beneath was all hers, as cheesy and sappy as that was to say, he knew it was the perfect spot for what he wanted to get done.

"Edward?" Seth questioned again, and pushed the sleeves of his red Henley t-shirt up his arms.

Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, with a pair of Vans on his feet, the angel looked every bit as human as Edward did, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Edward would never admit, not unless he absolutely had to, but he was rather fond of the pain in the ass.

He wasn't about to tell him that though. No fucking way.

Edward lifted one hand from the steering wheel, ran it through his hair, and then huffed, again. "This is going to sound all kinds of fucked up and I know it will, but I just wanted to have...to keep...I need to always have her with me...even when I die. Getting the tattoo will ensure that she will be."

Seth sighed mightily, so much so the entire car shook from end to end, even the windows rattled, but the car stayed its steady course. He knew... _knew_...it was that, but to hear Edward say it out loud tore his angelic heart completely in two.

Poor Seth had been struggling so much as of late. Gideon had been by his side more times over the past few weeks than he had ever been, but Seth couldn't find it in himself to let that bother him. Not even a little bit. Watching Edward grow, enjoy his life, and be happy was everything he had wished it would be, but knowing that Edward's time would be ending soon was killing him. Well, rather it would if he wasn't already dead. And then Gideon. He'd been even more cryptic than normal saying things without really saying them and always with a glint in his eye that made Seth want to shake him and ask what the Sam Hill was going on, but he knew better than that.

"I know, I know," Edward grumbled, mistaking the reason for Seth's sigh, entirely. "I am a damn fool, but I don't care. I want it and as crazy as this sounds, I know I'll always have a part of her with me, and I want her to know that, too."

"You're not a fool, Edward," Seth said and sighed again, this time barely moving the car at all. "In fact, I think that is just about the most meaningful thing I've ever heard. Truly."

Edward was quite taken aback by the intensity in Seth's voice but he didn't want to think about why he sounded the way he did. He was sure it had something to do with him and his time being so little, and he was not going to think about that today if he could at all help it.

"So, do you think it will hurt?" Seth asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject and to lessen the melancholy that suddenly settled over them.

Edward snorted and then shrugged his shoulder, saying, "No fucking clue. I'm guessing yes, and from the research I've done, I know it's going to be sore as hell, but it will be worth it.

"Do you know how..." Edward started to ask and then clamped his mouth shut, not having the courage to finish what he was about to say. All the talk about why he wanted the tattoo and pain and everything else had his mind on a tangent he couldn't stop thinking about, no matter how resolute he was to NOT think about it. It was a question he'd tried to ask many, many times since the infernal being popped into his life and one he found himself focusing on more and more as of late. He had no idea why he wanted to know how he was going to die, he honestly figured it was best NOT to know, but it didn't stop him from wondering just the same.

To stop himself from dwelling on subjects he'd rather not, he let his mind drift to Isabella, just like always. It was the end of October now. The leaves had started turning a short while ago, and at night when he and Isabella sat on the deck, they had to huddle underneath a wool blanket, not that he minded that in the least. He did, however, miss the fact that she could no longer go barefoot, instead she had to keep socks on her adorable feet. _A travesty_ , he thought, because he'd come to think that her feet were one of the sexiest things about her, which if he thought about it too much, kind of freaked him out. He hated feet, always had, but hers, he loved. They were so soft and so small and fit perfectly in his hands when she laid her feet in his lap. Of course, his love of her feet probably had more to do with the sounds she made when he rubbed them. Who knew?

Things had settled into a very comfortable routine, one that was incredibly ordinary, but as fulfilling as anything Edward could have imagined. In the morning after he and Isabella had breakfast together, they would head to the office. On the days that she worked from home, though they were quite sporadic and very few and far between, Peter would drive him, as well as on the days she had tutoring after school. On those days, Edward was always joined by Seth and it was during the morning commute that the angel seemed to do his level best to piss him off. Sometimes it was by purposely antagonizing him about Isabella, but other times it was to ask him questions that he didn't want to answer, and of late, most had been about Liam and Maggie.

Edward sighed and shifted in his seat as he sped along the highway toward Chicago and the shop where he would get the tattoo done. Liam and Maggie. The thoughts he had of them nagged at the back of his mind like an itch you couldn't scratch. The thoughts only irritated him when he let himself think about them, and he tried like hell not to do that too often if he could help it. Things had finally started to ease as far as Carlisle and Esme were concerned and he didn't want to do anything to rock that very fragile boat. It had taken them all some time and a lot of effort to get to the place they were at. He wasn't about to risk what he'd found, what they all needed and wanted, by allowing himself to spend too much time dwelling on his birth parents.

He and Esme had talked at length about Maggie, at times painful, heart-wrenching discussions, but they had to be done. He knew how hard it was for her to hear about her sister, but she needed to know, to understand, so he answered her questions as best he could. There were times he just...couldn't, and she understood when he would shut down and firmly changed the subject. He could only do so much, and it was those nights in particular he would find himself curled up with Isabella on the couch or outside under the stars not speaking, as she put him back together again, reminding him over and over again of how far he'd come and how much she loved him.

Carlisle was a different story altogether, but things were so much better there, too. Just the last weekend, when Isabella, Renée, Nonna, Esme, Rose, and Alice had attended a Home and Garden show together, he'd asked Carlisle and Emmett to join him and Charlie to play golf and they'd had a fantastic day. If anyone would have ever told him he'd enjoy spending an entire day with his adoptive father, brother, and father-in-law so damn much, he would have accused them of taking drugs or some shit, but the day couldn't have been any better. Slowly but surely those final walls were crumbling and he could feel himself inching closer and closer to calling Carlisle...Dad.

Things were so good, he was so happy and content, and his life was exactly where he wanted it to be. He and Isabella were doing better than ever. She'd stopped taking her birth control pills right after she'd gone to the doctor after they'd had their talk at the park. Every time they made love, and it was often, that hadn't changed at all, in fact it had only gotten better, he said a silent prayer that somehow, someway, whatever force had sent Seth to him would let her get pregnant. He knew how slim the chances were, medically speaking anyway because her body still had to regulate its hormones, but miracles happened everyday and he was hoping beyond hope they would be granted one. Now that he'd allowed himself to want it, it was all he could think about. If they were blessed enough to have a baby, she would always have a part of him to keep, just like he did with the tattoo.

The angel was uncharacteristically willing to let his charge keep his thoughts to himself, though because he knew him so well, it wasn't at all difficult to interpret every little grimace, grin, and groan. Edward liked to think himself cool and aloof but honestly to those that knew and loved him, like he and Isabella, the man was positively an open book. You just merely had to look beneath the cover.

By the time he was going to ask Edward a question, he noticed they'd entered the city so he let him be. Edward expertly wove in and out of the heavy downtown traffic and within a few minutes they were in front of a rather rundown looking tattoo shop. Seth wasn't at all sure what he was expecting, but whatever it was, it wasn't this. The windows were covered with the usual posters and flyers, the inside had the normal assortment of chairs and couches, and there was classic rock blaring from speakers hanging in the corners.

"Eddie, I swear, boy, you surprise me more and more every damn day," the angel scoffed and shook his head.

"What? When I decided to do this, I talked with Jasper. He's had some ink done, and this is where he comes. Jas even helped me draw it up," Edward said as he held up the manila folder that held the artwork.

Seth knew all that of course, but didn't say it. "Last chance to back out now, or at least tell Isabella first," the angel needled and chuckled when Edward glared at him before getting out of the car.

Edward and Seth walked through the front door but of course Edward was the only one that was greeted. They were told that Zeke would be with them shortly and to have a seat, so they did. After only a few minutes, a man, that again was not what Seth expected, walked out from a back room.

Zeke was really tall, probably 6'2" and stocky. He was bald but had a long, white beard that made him look like a bald, tatted-up Santa Claus. Both arms were covered with tattoos and every color under the rainbow decorated his skin. He smiled widely when he saw Edward and Edward heard, but of course didn't see, Seth take a surprised breath.

Edward snorted and quickly rolled his eyes before standing up to greet him. "Hey, man, thanks so much for fitting me in," he said as he held his hand out for the other man to shake.

"Well, any friend of J's is a friend of mine, so it's no trouble. Why don't you show me what you plan on having done?" Zeke asked and nodded toward the folder in his hand.

Anxiously, Edward handed over the folder and waited while the other man looked at the drawing Jasper had done. He was the only one Edward had told about the tattoo, and he'd asked Jasper to help get what he had in mind drawn on paper because he knew damn good and well he couldn't do it himself. Besides, Jasper was the only person he could trust not to tell Isabella what he'd planned on doing. Emmett couldn't keep a secret to save his life and Alec, well everyone knew how he felt about his wife, and Edward wasn't fool enough to think he wouldn't run and tell Isabella at the first opportunity.

"J draw this?" Zeke asked after a few moments and Edward nodded his head.

"Damn fool is wasting away up in that ivory tower dressed in those power suits all day. I keep trying to get him to give it all up and come work here," Zeke smirked at him.

"Yeah, well, he's damn good at what he does, so I'd have to fight you for him, but he is a hell of an artist. I knew he could draw, but not like that," Edward remarked, still a bit stunned at the depth of Jasper's talent.

The design itself wasn't that complicated, nor were the words he wanted to include as well, but the delicacy with which he drew the tattoo evoked every thought and feeling Edward was going for, without even having to spell it out. The subtle shades of red and black, the wispy lines that curled around the heart itself, the style of the lettering, all were perfect and reminded him of everything he loved about Isabella. They heart was a series of lines and then one side were the words 'la mia ragione' for my reason and then on the other 'la mia couere' for my heart and her name was underneath the heart itself. Of course it didn't hurt that Jasper was his best friend and knew him better than just about anyone else.

Jasper had even helped with the second part of his surprise for his magnificent wife, but he didn't have time to think about that now.

"Okay, man, well, we can definitely do this in one sitting. It really shouldn't take that much time either, though it's gonna hurt like a bitch, chest muscles and all." Zeke grinned, and Edward noted it was somewhat evilly.

He led them to his station and once Edward unbuttoned his shirt, he sat in the chair and tried to relax as Zeke lowered the back for better access to the area on his chest where the tat would go. Edward closed his eyes for a minute and felt Zeke work as he shaved the area to remove what little chest hair he had and then hissed when he felt the cold alcoholic swab used to clean it.

Once that was done, Edward felt the design as it was placed on his chest and Zeke carefully transposed it to his skin. After a few minutes, he had Edward sit up and he asked, "Look okay?"

"Fucking perfect," Edward said with a smile.

"Okay, Edward, this is it; you ready? There's no going back once I get started, you know?" Zeke asked while he put his latex gloves on and set up the tattoo gun with ink.

"Let's do it," Edward stated emphatically and then Zeke got to work.

It didn't hurt as bad as Edward had imagined it would, but it hurt like a bitch nonetheless. With each pinch of pain, it only served to remind him that now he would have a reminder of Isabella with him...forever. Quicker than he would have thought possible, Zeke told him he was done and he gingerly sat up so he could look at the tattoo before getting bandaged up.

His breath left his body in a whoosh the second his eyes focused on the explosion of color on his chest. He wanted to reach up and run his fingers across the skin, in fact he started to move his hand in that direction before Zeke stopped him.

"Jeeze, Edward, you have to wait until the skin has time to at least scab over. I take it you approve?" the man asked with a crooked eyebrow as he shook his head at him in the mirror's reflection.

"Fuck yes I do. It's...wow...it's fucking perfect. Thank you, seriously. You have no idea how much this means to me," Edward said as he fought to keep his voice steady.

He knew it would be emotional to see his vision come to life, but he didn't know it would feel like...this. Like everything was falling into place as it should be, like things were happening for reasons that were outside his realm of understanding...like everything would be okay. He'd felt that way before, numerous times in fact, but, here, now, it was more.

Stronger, deeper, more profound, more intense...more _everything_.

After getting bandaged up and armed with instructions for aftercare and such, Edward was on his way to his second stop of the day. Isabella was going to be spending the day with her mom and Nonna so he planned on getting everything he needed to get done finished before meeting her back at home.

As he expected, Seth walked beside him, unseen to everyone around them, once Edward had arrived at his next destination. Surprisingly the angel was silent, a fact of which Edward appreciated greatly. There were times he just liked to think without being asked questions. His mind wandered from topic to topic as he meandered down the crowded sidewalk. He supposed he could have parked closer to his intended stop, but really, he wanted to walk today.

When they got closer to the famous jewelry store with the robin's egg blue boxes, Edward pointedly ignored the low rumbling chuckle of the annoying angel and strode directly toward the counter. He paid no attention to the myriad of looks of lust, desire, and sexual need thrown his way by the women in the store, he never did. Well, he hadn't in a very, very long time. He wasn't an idiot, he knew he was a good-looking man, he always had been. His looks along with the air of aloofness and almost aristocracy that constantly surrounded him had garnered him more than his fair share of attention from the opposite sex. Even way back when, when he only wanted to be left alone, women practically fell over themselves whenever he walked past. As his incredible and beautiful wife liked to tease him, apparently for some unfathomable reason, women found him even more irresistible now. He really didn't understand it, nor did he try very hard because it was completely irrelevant as far as he was concerned. The only woman whose attentions he wanted were those of Isabella and she showed her appreciation of him in all the ways that mattered.

_He really was one lucky man_ , he thought for the thousandth time as he approached the display case. The poor sales associate was stunned stupid for a second when he walked up, especially when he nervously ran a hand through his hair. Again, he patently ignored the pain in the ass invisible presence beside him. "Um...I have a special order I'd like to pick up. For Cullen," he said as he shifted from foot to foot.

"Oh, ah...sure...um...let me go check and see if I can find it," the flustered woman said with a blush on her cheeks as she scurried off to find his item.

The chuckle from beside him was even louder than before and Edward whispered in a fierce voice, "Don't say a fucking word."

"Whatever, Eddie," the angel said with a gleeful twinkle in his eye.

The woman came back, carrying his item on a black velvet tray and when she laid it on the glass counter for him to inspect, Edward wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything more beautiful. "It's perfect," he whispered as he traced the pendant with his finger.

He'd had Jasper help him design a pendant that was the exact replica as the tattoo that now adorned his chest. On an oval platinum disk, he'd had the heart etched into the disk, had a bit of color added with a line of small rubies that matched the swath of red on the tattoo, and then had the words engraved as well. On the back he simply wrote 'Always and Forever, Edward' because the words on the front said everything he could possibly say.

"It's a beautiful piece," the woman said honestly, though with a bit of jealousy. It was impossible not to be because if she had a man that looked like Mr. Cullen buying her jewelry that was hand-designed, proclaiming to her to be his everything, she'd consider herself pretty damn lucky! "Is there anything else you need?" she asked and sighed when he shook his head without looking up at her, because he was too transfixed by the necklace. The sales associate thought, again, that his wife was one very lucky woman. "Let me get this boxed up for you then."

She took the velvet-lined tray and was back in no time with a light blue bag and Edward handed her his credit card. Once the purchase was done he started to make his way to the door when he heard someone call his name, "Edward?"

He turned and was face to face with none other than Sophie Jameson.

"Sophie, um...God, it's been so long...hi," Edward stammered and then awkwardly reached out to give her a hug.

"Hi, to you, too," she said and hugged him back.

Once she stepped back, she really looked at him. It had been almost a year since the last time she'd seen him and even then it had only been in passing. He still looked the same, gorgeous as all get out, but the genuine smile on his face and the brightness of his bottle-green eyes told her everything she needed to know: he was happy, as happy as she had ever seen him and it made her smile at him in return.

"I never would have believed I would see you in Tiffany's, Edward," she teased as she pointed to the bag in his hand.

"Ah, well, it's a gift for my wife," he told her and she noted how his face lit up even more.

"Birthday or anniversary?" she questioned as they both started to walk to the front door again.

Edward, ever the gentleman, held the door open for her and as she passed him he said, "Um, neither actually."

They both stood on the sidewalk and faced each other. "There's a story there, I can tell. Come on, buy me a mocha frappuccino at Starbucks and you can tell me all about it."

Edward chuckled and nodded, quite happy with the unexpected turn of events. Isabella was going to be busy for a few more hours at least and he'd thought about Sophie a great deal lately. The fact that they ran into each other was a fortuitous event Edward wasn't about to let go. He had so much to tell her, to thank her for...to apologize for.

He glanced to his right as he and Sophie walked down the street to Starbucks and the angel looked quite pleased with himself, and with him he noted, so he figured he was doing the right thing by spending time with Sophie. It felt damn good, he admitted only to himself, to do something right without having to be told to do it first for a change.

Really good.

Once Edward had ordered and paid for their drinks, they found a table in the back corner by the windows. Once they sat down, Edward didn't even think about Seth being there, instead he concentrated on his very old, very dear, and very unappreciated friend across from him.

"Soph, you look good, happy. How have you been? Tell me what you've been up to," Edward blurted out.

Now that she was across from him, he had a million and one things to tell her and to ask her. He never meant to treat her badly, and he certainly never intended for them to drift apart the way they had. Besides Jasper and possibly Marcus, he hadn't ever had a friend better than her. Isabella, of course, was his best friend, and would always be, but if not for the woman across from him, he had no idea if he would even be here.

Sophie laughed lightly at him and picked up her drink, taking a moment to appraise the man across from her. He sure seemed different and if she hadn't seen him with her own eyes, she never would have believed he was the same man she knew all those years ago. She knew, of course, that he had taken over Cullen Publishing. She also knew that he'd gotten married, a fact which had taken her completely by surprise if she was honest. The Edward Cullen she remembered would never have gotten married unless something had changed. His wife must be a very special woman, at least Sophie hoped so. Edward deserved no less.

"So it's going to be like that, huh?" she asked with a grin and when he nodded his head enthusiastically at her, she giggled. "Fine, then, where to begin?"

She was quiet for a moment while she gathered her thoughts and Edward used that time to look at her. She was still as pretty as ever, and she had that similar air of gentleness around her as his Isabella. She had been such a good friend to him when he'd needed one most, and he felt like such shit to have let her drift away and out of his life. He never meant to. He'd also never meant to not tell Isabella about her either. He'd mentioned her from time to time but he'd never admitted to anyone how hurt and betrayed he was by what Anna had done and how much Sophie had helped him afterward, even though he never let Sophie know how much he appreciated her. It wasn't because he'd felt anything meaningful for Anna, just like he'd told Isabella, but it was more the feelings of unworthiness she just reinforced. Sophie had kept him from slipping away into a black hole of despair and bitterness, though it was only barely, but it was enough so that when Isabella suddenly appeared like a gift from above, he'd been ready, or as ready as he could have been.

For that, Edward owed her everything.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you," Edward said in a rush with a soft voice.

"Edward...that was so long ago," she answered him and he noted, with a heavy heart, she didn't dispute what he'd said. That hurt, a whole fucking lot as a matter-of-fact.

He shook his head and then huffed out a deep breath. Shaking his head he said, "Sophie, whether it was seven years ago or seven days ago, I still hurt you. The way I treated you, it was...I was such an ass. I don't even recognize that man anymore when I think about how I acted back then."

"I take it that is because of your wife?" she prodded.

He nodded and ran his fingers across the bracelet on his wrist, smiling instantly the moment he did so. Sophie couldn't help but glance at his hand and made a mental note to ask about it, but in a minute. She wanted to hear what Edward had to say about his wife first.

"Everything is because of her," he said in a voice so full of love it brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh, Edward," she said back and then grinned when he shrugged his shoulders, totally unapologetic for sounding so sweetly endearing.

"When I met Isabella, I knew right away that she was the one for me. It wasn't too long after I'd taken over for Grandfather because he'd just passed away, and you know I was being groomed to take over anyway. Even though..." he stopped to take a breath and to calm his racing heart. "Even though," he began again, "I knew I wasn't ready for her, I didn't have a choice once I saw her. Sophie, if it wouldn't have been for you, trying to help me after that shit-storm with Anna, I would never have had the courage to even try to love Isabella. I owed...owe you so much, more than I can ever tell you and the fact that you and I just...weren't friends all of a sudden and I didn't even try to stop you, or tell you I was sorry I couldn't be who you wanted me to, is unforgivable."

He'd hung his head and it shot up when he heard her soft chuckle. "Edward, all I ever wanted you to be was yourself."

"I know," he answered and then sat back in his chair.

Christ, things had been such a fucking mess when he met Sophie for the first time all those years ago. She had worked as the head of one of the charities the Cullen Foundation had given money to and they were introduced at the fundraiser dinner the Foundation had put on. It was so soon after he and Anna had parted ways and he was barely functioning. His grandfather was pissed at him and hadn't bothered to even listen when Edward had tried to explain what happened. By that time, he, Carlisle, and Esme had spent so little time together they were practically strangers, and he and Emmett only talked when they had to and only when it was about work. Jasper, Alec, and Marcus tried to get him to tell them what was going on but he couldn't so instead he'd folded even more in on himself. He wasn't eating, wasn't sleeping, and was working eighteen hours a day at the office to try to keep himself so busy he couldn't spend time thinking about Anna or his parents and what had happened to him in Ireland.

In a word, he'd been on the brink of self-destruction and it was the friendship that developed between himself and Sophie that kept him from spiraling out of control.

He didn't tell her about Liam and Maggie. He didn't really even tell her about Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett either. They did talk about his grandfather and Anna, as much as he was able to at any rate, which was barely much at all. No, instead she tried to get to know him and she kept trying and trying until it was apparent that he wasn't ready for her friendship.

She never had any feelings for him that went past platonic but she knew she could help him if only he'd let her...and he didn't, couldn't, because he wasn't ready. Much like Isabella, though certainly not with the same depth of feelings, Sophie recognized there was so much beneath the mask that he had worn back then. She just wanted and needed to help him realize that he was a good person, one that deserved good things to happen to him. They spent a lot of time together, though most of it was spent with her talking and him listening. She told him everything and when they were talking about her, he was engaged and offered the best advice. She told him things she'd never told anyone else, her dreams and her fears, what she wanted to do with her life, stories from her childhood...everything. But, when the tables were turned and she wanted to talk about him, he shut down quicker than you could blink.

It finally just got so hard and she wasn't getting through to him, or so she thought. They just sort of drifted apart and days turned into weeks which turned into months between conversations and then finally they stopped talking all together. That was really the thing that was so hard for Sophie to deal with: the fact that there wasn't really a reason for the distance between the two other than Edward's reluctance to open up to her. Things were just so one-sided and it was hard to be friends with someone when you were the only one trying, or so she felt at the time.

She'd sent a letter of condolence when his grandfather passed away, and she sent a gift when he and Isabella had gotten married, but after that, there wasn't any more contact. Occasionally their paths would cross as she became more involved in charity work, but even when that happened, they didn't speak. She'd thought of him often over the past few years, especially so when she'd gotten engaged as she had just a few months ago, but today was the first time they had spoken in quite some time.

"Edward, you know when we were friends all those years ago, that was all I wanted from you. You were going through such a hard time and all I wanted to do was help. You just shut me out so completely that when we stopped talking. I am not sure you even realized it," Sophie told him honestly.

"Christ, Soph," he said using the nickname from when they'd first met. "I was such a fucking mess. I was hurt and angry and I was holding all this...shit...inside of me. Something happened to me not too long ago that made me take long, hard look at my life and I didn't like much of what I saw. With Isabella's love and faith in me, I've been able to turn my life around, make amends with my family and friends, even Anna if you can believe that," and then he laughed and ran a hand through his hair when he saw the incredulous look on Sophie's face. "I know, right? She's...she's not the person I thought she was and she told me she was sorry for what she did, and I did the same. I...I'm not the same Edward you knew all those years ago, but I'd really like for you to get to know him...if you want to that is."

"I'd really like that, Edward. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you so...happy," she told him and then tilted her head to the side as she continued to stare at him. "You deserve it so much."

"Well, I've finally faced a lot of things in my past, again with Isabella's help, so things are...really fucking good to be honest with you," he told her with a small shrug of his shoulder. Once more he ran his finger across his bracelet and Sophie couldn't contain her curiosity any longer.

She reached a hand out and pointed, asking, "Spill it, Cullen. What is up with you and that bracelet?"

He grinned at her and then ducked his head and she laughed when the tips of his ears turned pink. "God, I'm going to sound like such an lovesick fool, but this is a friendship bracelet. Isabella has one, too. I gave them to her for her birthday because well...you know...she's my best friend and I wanted her to know that."

"That must have been some wake-up call, my friend," she told him, though there was a hint of a question in there, too.

Knowing he couldn't say much, he nodded and then said, "It sure as hell was. I've become the husband Isabella has deserved all this time, gotten to know my brother all over again, allowed myself to get closer to Jasper, Alec, and Marcus, and have even started repairing my relationship with Carlisle and Esme. It's been...hard...Soph, but so worth it. I've been offered a second chance I'm still not sure I deserve, but I hope you'll give me one, too, to be the friend I should have been all those years ago. You did so much for me, even though I never told you or showed you, and I'm sorry for that, too. You were the only bright spot in a very dark time for me and I never should have gone so long without telling you that. I'm really sorry for hurting you the way I did. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh, Edward, of course I forgive you," she told him and then dabbed at her eyes to dry up the tears she'd let fall. "I'm so glad you found the happiness I always knew you could have if you just let yourself accept it."

"You sound like Isabella," Edward said with a wide smile.

"She sounds like my kind of person then. I hope I can meet her sometime," she told him softly.

Edward snorted and then rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, shit, I can just see it now, both of you plotting against me." He took a sip of his drink and then sat back in his chair and looked at her before saying, "You know, you two would get along really well, I think. You're a lot alike, mostly because you both look for the good in everyone. It's a trait that I admire, to be honest with you, and one I find myself trying to emulate more often."

She gasped and once again felt the corners of her eyes burn with tears and then said, "You have changed so much."

"Actually, as I tell Isabella over and over again, I think it's just me...finally being me," he answered honestly. "And, now, enough about me, tell me about you. How is work going and tell me all about the man that put that ring on your finger."

Seth had taken his leave some time ago, not that Edward even noticed. He watched from above as Edward and Sophie talked for hours as she filled him in on everything that had been going on in her life and Edward soaked up every minute of it. Much like Alec and Isabella, Edward's rediscovered friendship with Sophie would help him in more ways than he would even be able to recognize. In Sophie, he had a confidante, not that he didn't have one in Jasper or Emmett, but she would always be there to remind him he was a good person when, as Edward was apt to do from time to time, he over thought things too much. It didn't hurt either, Seth chuckled loudly, that he could envision Isabella and Sophie becoming as good, if not better, friends than Sophie and Edward; he kind of couldn't wait to see how his young friend dealt with that!

Yep, Sophie would be just what both his favorite humans had needed and even though he was an angel and didn't really need to do it, he sent up a prayer of thanks for Sophie's appearance today. He knew it wasn't just chance that the two crossed paths so he said the thank you Edward wouldn't realize he needed to say.

"So, we'll see you and Max next week?" Edward asked. He and Sophie had made tentative plans to meet for dinner, with their significant others as well, of course.

"Sure thing. If anything comes up, I'll call you, but I'm sure it will be fine. Max, um...well, I've told him about you so he'll be anxious to put a face with the name," she told him with a blush and then hurried out the door he was holding open for you.

"He's jealous of me, huh?" Edward teased with a waggle of his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes at him and then jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow. "No, you big goof. He knows we never felt like that for each other. He just wants to meet you is all. He knows how important you were...are to me," she told him. "Are you going to tell Isabella you saw me today?"

"Hell yes I am. If I could track her down, I'd call her as soon as I got in the car to go home, but it'll have to wait until I get there. I'm really excited for you guys to meet." He meant it, too. He couldn't wait to get home to tell Isabella about his day.

Sophie laughed at him and put her sunglasses on. "Edward, you should probably wait until after you give her whatever is in that bag. I'm sure that is more important than telling her about seeing an old friend."

He wasn't going to argue with her, but really, he knew Isabella would think they were at least equally important. He knew how much it would mean to her to see him make peace and reconnect with one more person from his past. Especially one that meant so much to him, and to both of them really.

"You'd be surprised. It was so good to see you, Soph. I'm so glad we found each other again," as he moved closer to her and wrapped her in a hug.

"Me, too, Edward. Keep in touch, okay? And, I'll let you know for sure about next week," she told him and then patted his back before stepping backward. With a wave, she turned and walked away, though this time he knew she would be back.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Isabella had had the best day with her mother and Nonna but as she drove home, all she could think about was getting home to Edward. She hadn't seen him since early morning and she missed him. As much as she loved spending time with her family and friends, spending time with Edward was ever so much more fun, more fulfilling, more everything.

She supposed in this day and age it was strange to have such a small circle of friends, but she didn't much care because it was who she was. Even before Edward's metamorphosis into the perfect husband, she never needed to fill her time by spending it with people she truly didn't care about, she never had. Her life was full, fuller than most anyone's and she wouldn't trade it for anything. She enjoyed her lunches with Alec, the girls' nights she occasionally spent with Alice and Rose going to dinner and to a movie, spending time hanging out with her dad while they watched baseball on TV, or cooking with her Nonna and mother.

She had a wonderful life, one that was full of more love and more blessings than she ever would have thought possible, even more so now that Edward was, well...her Edward. The fluttery feeling she always got when she thought about him was out in full swing, even more so when she pushed the button to open the garage door and saw that he was home already. He had been so secretive the past few days but always gave her a sexy smirk when she would ask what he was up to.

Well, whatever it was, she was sure it was something for her and she really couldn't find anything to get upset with him for about that, at all.

When she walked inside from the garage, her mouth began to water immediately when she smelled the Chinese food he'd obviously picked up for dinner. Smiling, one, because she didn't need to cook, and two, because she couldn't wait to see him, she started to rush up the stairs, but came to an abrupt stop when she got to the bottom one.

There, like wrapped up pieces of sunshine, was a trail of her favorite butterscotch candies dropped haphazardly on the stairs and leading all the way up. Giggling like a teenager meeting her favorite pop idol, she bent down and scooped up a few pieces and popped one into her mouth. She practically skipped up the stairs but as she got closer to their bedroom door she stopped feeling like a teenager and felt every bit a woman wanting to see her husband.

Her body was practically electrified as she took a deep breath outside their door before opening it. The sight that greeted her was not at all what she was expecting, but when did Edward do anything that was ordinary?

"Oh, Edward," she breathed out when she looked at him. She moved and he could tell she was about to run and jump into his arms, and well, any other day he'd be all about that, but with the tattoo he didn't think it was the best idea.

Luckily, he was holding a bottle of wine so was able to say, "Wait, Beautiful," to keep her from hurting them both. He bent over and set the bottle in the wine bucket and by the time he stood back up she was standing next to him. Wasting no time, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him and pressed his lips against hers to kiss her. His tongue slid into her mouth and the moment it did so, she felt that sexy as hell rumble she always felt when they kissed after being apart for any period of time.

"Mmmm, buttery," he smirked when he smacked his lips against hers.

"What in the world is all this?" she asked as she looked on the floor.

He'd moved the two chairs and small table that were usually in front of the fireplace in the corner of their room and instead, he'd laid out a blanket and a few pillows. The Chinese food she'd smelled all the way from downstairs was set between two place settings of their expensive china and her favorite wine was chilling in a bucket of ice. Candles were everywhere and on one plate there was a clipping from the hydrangea bush outside.

She looked at him and he shrugged his shoulders before he said simply, "I had a really good day today. I missed you, and I wanted to do something nice for you."

"My husband, you certainly are something else. Do I have time to change?" she asked when she noticed how comfortable he looked in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a black t-shirt. His feet were bare, his hair was all over the place, and he hadn't even taken off the glasses he sometimes wore when he worked on his laptop. In a word, he was sexy as hell and she had to squeeze her legs together and bite the inside of her cheek to keep from groaning out loud.

"Sure do. I'll pour the wine and get the food ready, you go change," he told her with one more kiss to the top of her head and a swat to her ass.

Quickly she grabbed a pair of flannel boxer shorts and a tank top and hurried to the bathroom, gasping loudly when saw the items on the counter. "Edward, what the hell?" she practically shrieked, but only because she was worried. Hydrogen peroxide, gauze, some with blood on it and some sterile and still in the package, and lotion all were laid out on the counter and had her mind reeling.

"Ah shit. Baby, it's no big deal, I promise. Hurry up and get dressed and I'll explain," he told her when she flung the door open, dressed only in her boxers. "Or, don't get dressed," he drawled with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," she growled as she yanked her shirt on, twisted her hair up into a ponytail, and then put her hands on her hips as she stared at him.

"Isabella Marie Cullen," he smirked back. _Gah, she was too fucking adorable when she got all feisty and shit_ , he thought and grinned even wider. "See, I can three name you, too. Now, come sit and eat with me. I have things to tell you."

She gulped, loudly, and that only made him laugh harder. "Love, come on. You can see there's nothing wrong with me, stop worrying so much. I promise I'll explain everything."

She narrowed her eyes as she walked closer to him and seeing nothing but happiness and love shining in his eyes, decided to let him do his thing. He was a man with a plan and she would let him lead. _However,_ _she thought_ _, she would step in if needed_.

"Thank you," he told her when she was close enough for him to grab her hand. He helped her sit down and then immediately took his spot across from her and began to spoon the food onto the plates.

She took a sip of her wine as she watched him load up her plate with pork fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli and he topped it off with an eggroll. Thankfully he only gave her a spoonful of each because it was already more food than she could eat, but he more than made up for it when he got his own food. Once he was done, he lifted his glass to her and said, "I sure miss you like fucking crazy when we're apart all day, but I'll take it if I can spend nights with you like this."

"Smooth, Edward," she giggled at him and then leaned across the food to kiss him quickly on the lips, "but very sweet just the same."

Grinning like the cat that caught the canary, he said, "Just wait, baby, you haven't seen anything yet." He then proceeded to pop a piece of chicken in his mouth, chuckling when she tried to glare at him.

Before long, Isabella forgot all about what was going in the bathroom because they'd been talking nonstop, pausing only long enough to chew or to take a drink of wine. After about an hour, she put her fork down and groaned, saying, "I can't eat any more."

"Me, either," he answered her and tossed his napkin on his plate.

She stared at him across the candlelight, marveling at the way the light danced across his face. He hadn't shaved since yesterday morning so he was deliciously scruffy. He'd taken his glasses off when they had sat down to eat so now the reflection from the fire shown in his vivid green eyes, not to mention that his hair looked like it was on fire the way the light bounced off it. He had laid down on his side and was resting his head on his hand and if there was a time she had ever seen him more relaxed she couldn't recall. If there was a way she could stop time, this moment right here would be what she wanted. To see him so happy was all she'd ever hoped and prayed for and there weren't enough words in the English language that could adequately describe how thankful she was to whatever force had brought them to this place.

She could tell he wanted to say something because he kept running his finger around the rim of his wineglass, but she didn't push him. The music playing in the background was soft and soothing and between it and the fire, she had no desire whatsoever to intrude upon the extraordinarily intimate setting. Just being with him, sharing the same space with him, was enough to fill her heart and warm her body from head to toe, so if they spent the rest of the night simply doing nothing but looking at each other, she was perfectly fine with that.

"I saw Sophie today," he said softly, as he picked his head up and watched her reaction.

That was not what she expected him to say, not at all, but if the last two months had taught her anything, it was that Edward was full of surprises, a fact which he displayed over and over and over again.

She'd heard him mention Sophie from time to time so hearing her name didn't come as a huge surprise. Nor did the sincere way he said her name. Isabella was more than intuitive enough to be able to put together that nothing romantic had ever transpired between Edward and Sophie and neither party wanted it to either. She was merely a friend; a very good one judging from his obvious pleasure at seeing her again.

"You seem very happy about that," she answered him back with a tender smile.

He nodded at her and said, "I am. Beautiful, it was so weird seeing her, but so damn good, too, you know? She helped me so much after all that shit happened with Anna and I never told her that or even said thank you. I just took and took because it was nice to have someone to spend time with, even if I didn't say very much and she did most of the talking. She kept me from falling into a very dark place, I know that now, so I'm even more grateful to her than I was before."

"She sounds like a very good friend, sweetheart," she remarked with absolutely no hint of jealousy. In fact, she was extremely grateful to Sophie for being a friend to Edward during a time she knew he needed one most, and was probably the least likely to want one.

He nodded and picked up his glass, taking a sip of wine. "I want her to meet you. Is that okay?" he asked, hoping she understood that he only wanted to show Sophie how happy he was and how much he and Isabella loved each other.

"I would love that," Isabella answered honestly and leaned back on a large throw pillow. "Tell me about your day with her," she prodded and then proceeded to listen and he filled her in on his visit with his old friend.

When he finished talking she stretched her legs out because they were a bit cramped from sitting for so long.

"Wait here, I have a few more surprises for you," he told her with a mischievous grin when he stood up. He bent over and tilted her head up with his fingers beneath her chin and then kissed the tip of her nose.

"Edward," she huffed partly in exasperation and partly in defeat. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, so rather than fight it, she smiled at him. "Fine, fine, I'll pick up the dishes and you go do whatever you need to do." She giggled as she shooed him away toward the bathroom of all places. He turned and gave her her smile and then closed the door behind him.

She picked up the dishes and the food and carried it all downstairs to put away in the dishwasher and fridge. After she set the alarm and turned out the lights, she walked back up the stairs and sighed when she spied the candy again. She didn't even think about picking them up yet; it was too cute a gesture to not enjoy for as long as possible.

When she walked back into the bedroom he was waiting for her, leaning against the door of the bathroom with his robe on. She spied a corner of white on his chest that looked eerily familiar to the gauze she saw in the bathroom earlier and she realized she'd forgotten all about asking him about it all during dinner.

"Edward," was all she got out before he said, "Wait, love, okay?"

She looked at him with anxious eyes, feeling a distinct change in the atmosphere. It was charged, heavy, but layered with the need they both had for each other. She had questions, but was still willing to follow his lead. Besides, she knew he had to be naked, or at the very least mostly so, beneath his robe. She could tell the bathroom was filled with steam from the bathtub, so she kind of hoped she'd be naked, too, before too much longer.

"I did something today, something for you. Well, mostly it's for me," he began and didn't move from his position against the door frame.

She had stopped moving as well and stared at him, standing no more than an arm's length away from him. His eyes were blazing intensely, bright pools of green-black that stared at her in such a way it was if he was trying to etch the vision of her onto his brain. Her skin prickled under the weight of his stare, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Instead it made her feel adored, cherished, and loved beyond all reason.

"I love you so fucking much," he told her in a voice that almost didn't sound like his own it was so gruff, so deep due to the emotions swirling in and around him.

"I love you, too. Edward, you're scaring me. What's the matter?" she asked him, too afraid to move though every cell in her body screamed to throw herself into his arms.

He shook his head, trying to clear it of all the thoughts and feelings so he could focus solely on her. Pushing off the door frame, he reached for her hands, threading his fingers with hers. She watched as he lifted them to his mouth and then as he rubbed his lips across each of her knuckles, never once forming them to kiss the skin of her hand and never once taking his eyes off of her. She was mesmerized as she watched his eyes take her in from head to foot. If all of her clothes suddenly disappeared from her body she wasn't sure she'd feel more exposed than she did right then...like he could see into the depths of her very soul, like he could feel every emotion she did, like he knew every one of her hopes and dreams, needs and wants.

She opened her mouth though she didn't know why nor what she wanted to say, but it didn't matter because before she could even blink, his mouth was on hers. It wasn't sweet. It wasn't gentle. Instead it was full of unquenched desire, of a need to claim, to consume.

To possess and remember...forever...this moment right here.

He hadn't even shown her the ink that would stain his skin for the rest of time, but he knew it was there and more than that, why it was there. His tongue delved deeply, tasting every part of her mouth, then he retreated to nibble on her bottom lip. His fingers had found their way into her hair and he cradled her head between them as if she was the most expensive piece of art ever made. In his mind, she was infinitely more priceless than anything mere man could make. She was...everything. His reason...his purpose...and without question the greatest gift he'd ever been given.

"My beautiful Isabella," he murmured once he'd gotten a slight hold on the emotions that were threatening to overpower him. He stared her again for another long moment before he sighed and released her head and lowered his hands.

She watched as he untied the belt holding his robe closed and she let out a breath of air that matched almost perfectly the whoosh when he let the robe fall to the floor. The stark white bandage glaringly stood out on his chest and she gasped when she saw it. With shaking fingers, she lifted her hand to touch it, but he captured her wrist before she could. Wordlessly, he walked backward, pulling her with him, until they stood inside the bathroom.

He'd turned the lights down so that the room was bathed in a soft golden light. There was steam rising from the jacuzzi tub and there were a few candles lit on the shelf behind it. The scents of the candles were heady mixed with the steam, but not so much so that it was unpleasant. The heat from the bathroom caused her hair to curl and he reached a hand up and held a mahogany strand between his fingers, marveling for the thousandth time how it could feel so fucking soft all the damn time. There was so much he wanted to say to her, he didn't even know where to start.

He wasn't sure when the tenor of the evening had changed, but change it did. He suddenly had the urge to tell her things he'd never told her before, stories from his childhood he'd long kept buried. About the time he and Emmett, on a rare occasion of brotherly bonding, had taken a pair of reading glasses from their Grandfather and hid them when they were fifteen and ten. The time he and Marcus had been caught by the campus police drinking and they'd been underage but had talked the officer into not turning them in. So many things, so many tiny moments that all made up who he was, her Edward. All the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, all blended together to make the imperfect man that stood before her.

"Today, I finally did something that I have been thinking about since the first morning I woke up with you in my arms, in my bed, all those weeks ago," he began in a rough whisper. "It was the start of a new beginning for us, Isabella, a chance for me to be the husband...the lover...the friend...the Edward, you needed me to be," he told her kissing her so gently but so passionately after every word. "You, my beautiful wife, have somehow always managed to see the real me, even when I tried so fucking hard to keep him locked away, hidden, buried, so no one would ever know him." He reached up and began peeling back the tape that held the gauze in place. "I've told you, over and over again that you're my everything, la mia ragione," he breathed out the words reverently. "So today, I made it so that every day, every fucking day, I will have a physical reminder of not only what you gave me, but what you are to me." Without taking his eyes off her, he removed the rest of the tape and then pulled the bandage away from the skin.

Isabella gasped when she saw the explosion of color that blossomed on his chest. Instinctively she reached a hand out, wanting to touch the black and red that was indelibly marked on his skin, but she knew she couldn't touch. She could, however, look, so her eyes did what her fingers couldn't. She stepped closer, between his legs, and then laid her hands on either side of the artwork that now adorned his body.

"Edward, it's...it's so beautiful," she whispered, using every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep herself from wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body fully against his. "I can't believe you wanted this...that you did this...for me."

"Well, love, technically I did it for me, so that I would always have a part of you with me," he told her as he pushed her hair back behind her ear. "Isabella, if I could manage it, I would never leave your side, but I know that isn't possible. I know it might seem fucked up or whatever, but this," he said as he pointed to the tattoo, "always means, that wherever I go, no matter how far away it is, you're always with me."

Isabella felt more than heard his words. She felt them deep in her marrow, felt them as they mixed with her blood as it flowed through her veins, felt them as they coated her skin like a fine mist. God, what she felt for him, sometimes it was so much she didn't know how her body was able to contain it all. He was light and love and happiness. He was all things good in her world. He was every wish and every prayer she'd ever had or said. He was her heart, her soul, her reason for living. He was every color of the rainbow and the sounds of every note of every song she'd ever heard. He was her reason to wake up every morning and every dream she had while she slept. He was lust and passion, ecstasy and pleasure. He was the air she breathed. He was her entire world.

He was...her Edward.

And she wanted him, with a fervor that was practically primal, and she wanted him now.

Molding her body against his the best way she could without hurting him, she trailed her lips across the sculpted muscles of his chest until she got to the edge of his tattoo. "Did it hurt?" she whispered, and he shivered as her warm breath floated across his skin.

"No, Beautiful, at least not any worse than I expected. It was worth it," he told her as he gripped her hips, sliding his thumbs beneath her tank top.

The moment his skin touched hers, she was gone.

"Edward," she said, his name sounding like an answer to a prayer.

The way his name sounded falling from her lips ignited that barely suppressed need he'd been fighting all night to claim her and possess her. He wanted every piece of her and wanted to give every piece of himself to her in return. He gripped her hips even tighter and she pressed her body closer, wishing there was a way she could crawl inside of him. She felt it as his hands moved ever so slightly and then before she knew it, he'd pushed her shirt up and then pulled it over her head. Being careful not to hurt him, she pressed her breasts against his chest and they both moaned when their bodies touched.

His mouth found hers again and this time the kiss was gentle. Languidly he slid his tongue into her mouth, and she felt it all the way down between her legs the moment their tongues touched. Her body shivered just from the anticipation of finally having him inside of her. He must have felt the same thing because in an instant he'd pushed her boxers down her legs and did the same for his. When he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him, she felt his hardened length against her stomach.

"Oh fuck, Isabella," he groaned into her mouth.

He lifted her then, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trapping his cock between them. Carefully he stepped into the steaming water and lowered them into it in one fluid motion. Immediately her body settled over his once they were seated. She stared down into his face. "I love you, Edward, with everything I have inside of me," she whispered as she held his head in her hands.

"I know, Beautiful."

"I need you," she half-begged, half-demanded.

"I know," he hissed as she rolled her hips over his erection, sliding up and down his length.

"Please, Edward. Don't make me wait any longer," she practically sobbed.

She ached for him, so much so it brought tears to her eyes. Everything he'd done today, everything they felt for each other, every obstacle they'd overcome, every tear she'd cried for him, every prayer she'd whispered, every ounce of heartbreak and pain she'd ever felt all crashed down on her and she literally felt like she was about to break apart into a million pieces if he didn't take her now.

"Oh my Isabella, baby, you don't ever have to beg me for anything," he whispered in the most reverential voice she'd ever heard. With a gentleness that was completely contradictory to the way he looked and the way they both felt, he lifted her up and then settled her over his straining erection.

When he was fully inside of her, touching her so deep, she didn't, couldn't, move. She stared at him once more, then let her eyes slide over to the ink on his chest and tentatively laid her hand on it. His heart beat beneath her hand and she closed her eyes, trying to memorize the way it felt, though she knew she would recognize its rhythm anywhere. It was embedded deep in her mind, her soul, her heart.

Finally, she opened her eyes again and began to rock against him slowly. Neither spoke. Words weren't necessary. Everything they could say, wanted to say, had already been said. Soft moans of pleasure, whispered cries when he touched the spot deep inside of her that set her entire body on fire filled the room, echoing off the tiled walls. Water sloshed over the side of the tub, but neither paid any attention. The world could crumble around them and neither would know because they were so focused, so consumed, by the moment.

"You will always be mine, Isabella, forever and always," he choked out when he felt her walls clench tightly around him.

"Yours, Edward, always," she panted as her movements sped up.

"Fuck, Beautiful...so close," he hissed as he lifted his hips and thrust up inside of her. His fingers kneaded her ass. His thumbs pressed against her hipbones. He took a nipple into his mouth and sucked on the pebbled flesh.

She arched her back and rolled her hips forward. Her nails dug into his back. Her thighs clamped around him as she began to move faster.

"Yes, oh God, yes!" she cried out. "More, Edward, please," she begged again.

He moved his right hand between their bodies and circled her swollen clit with his finger. She cried out again, the sounds coming out in choppy gasps as the feelings of exquisite pleasure flowed through her. "Oh, God, Edward...come...I need to...so close," she panted.

"Then come," he commanded. "Let me feel it, Beautiful." Again, he closed his mouth over a distended nipple, nipping it lightly with his teeth.

She felt it as her nails dug into the flesh of his back but didn't take the time to worry about hurting him or leaving marks. The only thing she could focus on was the orgasm that was quickly taking hold of her body. When she felt his teeth bite down harder on her nipple, she let out a moan that made him grow even harder inside of her.

"That's it, Isabella. Let go...you're so fucking beautiful when you come, baby," he whispered against the skin of her breast as he watched her fall apart.

She threw her head back and ground her pussy against his finger. The end of her hair brushed across the top of the water, causing it to swirl around them. The candlelight caused pools of shadow and gold across her chest and as Edward watched, mesmerized, it was almost too much for him to comprehend.

He felt her flutter and pulsate around him because he was still hard and inside of her and the moment her body stopped shaking above him, he pulled her down on him, lifting his hips as he drove into her as deep as he could possibly go. Water spilled over the side of the tub, the candlelight flickered with their breaths as they moved the air around them, but all of that paled in comparison to watching her above him.

She was fucking magnificent.

"Together my love, come with me, please," he hissed. He tried to find purchase along the bottom of the tub by pushing his feet against the sides. His legs burned from keeping the muscles in his thighs so tense. His jaw ached from gritting his teeth, but all he wanted, needed, was to fall over that edge with her. Always with her.

"Oh...yes...Edward..." she whimpered.

"Isabella, look at me," he demanded. He waited until her eyes found his. He stilled inside of her and let go of her with one of his hands and said, "Give me your hand." When she put her hand in his he laid it over his heart and the ink that covered it. "This is yours, forever," he told her and try as he might, he couldn't help the way his voice shook as he looked at her. "Whether I'm in this world or the next, you will always, for eternity, be a part of me," he told her and then crushed her body to his with his other hand.

With her hand above his heart and his hand splayed across her back holding her body to his, they came together in a blinding, soul-touching orgasm that seemed to come from another space and time. It wrapped around them, enveloping them in a cloud of passion and ecstasy so deep and meaningful it took more than a few minutes to come back down from wherever they had been.

After another few moments, Isabella giggled from where she'd rested her head against his shoulder. "Um...that was...wow," she whispered and he felt her smile against his skin.

"Love, wow doesn't even begin to describe what that was." He kissed the top of head and shifted them so that she was in front of him with her back against his chest.

She wanted to protest the fact that he wasn't inside of her any longer, but couldn't find the energy so instead she relaxed in front of him, extremely thankful for the oversized hot water heater and for the abundance of towels they kept stocked in the bathroom. She barely gave a passing thought to the amount of water that was bound to be on the floor because sitting between Edward's legs while he wrapped his arms around her was pure bliss.

He watched her, and though she wasn't sleeping, she hadn't moved in quite some time, which worked out perfectly for the last surprise of the evening. Reaching for the box he'd hidden behind a candle, he carefully pulled out the necklace. He held it up in the light, appreciating the way the rubies glinted in the candlelight and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would look positively spectacular resting against her creamy white skin. He lifted up his other hand so he could hold both ends of the chain.

"I got something for you today, Beautiful," he whispered in her ear and laid the necklace against her chest.

She gasped, startled when she felt the cool platinum against her warm skin. "Edward...what...how did you?" she stammered as her brain tried to catch up with what was happening.

"I wanted you to have a reminder, always, of how much I love you," he told her as he fastened the necklace.

She sat up quickly and turned around, paying no heed to the water that again spilled over the side of the tub. With trembling fingers she held the disk in her hand and felt tears prick her eyes when she realized it was an exact replica of his tattoo, except for the rubies of course. She turned it over and then felt her tears fall down her face when she read the engraving on the back.

"Oh, Edward," she sighed and was at a complete loss for words.

The necklace was every bit as stunning as the ink on his skin and she was moved beyond anything she'd ever felt before.

"I'll never take it off," she promised and knew with all her heart she would keep her word.

He stared at the pendant and whispered, "It looks even more gorgeous on you than I imagined." He reached for her then and pulled her close. Running his lips back and forth across hers he told her, "I need you again, Isabella. Let me make love to you and show you again how much you mean to me."

"You don't need to show me, Edward, I already know and I'll never forget," she answered him as she ran her hands through his hair and then along the sides of his face.

"Fine, then let's make a baby," he told her with a lopsided grin, even though he was deadly serious. He couldn't imagine a better culmination of what they shared tonight than for Isabella to get pregnant with their child. A child made from their absolute and total love for one another.

She giggled at him, though she couldn't deny that his words made her hope that somehow what they both wanted would happen. It was too soon for her to be able to get pregnant, but it didn't keep her from hoping just the same.

He stood up and held his hand out to her and then he carefully stepped out of the tub and held on to her so she wouldn't fall. Grabbing some towels from the cabinet, he threw them down on the floor to soak up the water and then wrapped one around her as well. They walked back out into their bedroom where they spent the rest of the night doing all they could to make their dream of a child come true.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Far above, the two angels looked down on their two favorite humans some time later. Isabella and Edward were completely wrapped in each other's arms and both slept with the most peaceful of smiles on their faces.

"He needs more time, Gideon," Seth practically begged his mentor.

"Seth, you know it is out of both of our hands now. It is the way it must be," Gideon told his young friend in a resigned voice.

"Is there nothing we can do? He deserves to stay with her, they need each other so much," Seth tried again.

Gideon sighed and turned and faced his most favorite prodigy. "This is not the time to question your faith, Seth, you know this. Trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to. You'll see," Gideon told him with a pat on his shoulder and then floated away.

Seth immediately went to his two humans and took up his nightly vigil to watch over them. Edward and Isabella continued to sleep the sleep of the innocent while Seth prayed that he had the strength to see this assignment through to the end...no matter when that end came.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**So...what do you all think about everything that happened in this chapter? The tattoo, I've had that planned from the very beginning. Whatever your belief is about comes after you die, I hope you appreciate the symbolism of what Edward was trying to do by getting the tattoo. (Okay, that is all I'm gonna say about that!) And Sophie, goodness, I've been dying to get her here! I hope you all love her as much as I do!** **She will be very important to both Edward and Isabella going forward. Then, some lemon action, that really wasn't planned, gotta admit, but I hope you liked it!**

**Next chapter, lots of things happening for sure. Alec will meet his someone, Thanksgiving with everyone, and some major discussions happening. We're getting close to the end here, folks, only 4 chapters left. Keep hanging in there with me, okay? I have a plan, the same one I've had all along so have faith and keep up that chant of HEA! I promise, it'll all be worth it in the end!**

**Be sure to check out the blog, okay? We have added pictures of Edward's tattoo and Isabella's pendant. A HUGE thank you to NoelleSeven for making the incredible manip of Edward with his tattoo and for making the pendant for me. And to prettykittyartist for the technical help with the tattoo. I love you both dearly for helping me! There is also a polyvore for Seth, too, so be sure to take a look at both!**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com**

**The bonus scene this week will be some more Sophie. We'll see her when she gets home and hear what she has to say to Max about seeing Edward after all this time. So, if you want to read it, be sure to review and I'll send it out on Wednesday with review replies. If you're missing any Bonus Scenes, you know where to find me.**

**Thanks for all the support, reviews, PM's, Tweets, Retweets...and on and on. You guys are the absolute best and I love each of you madly!**

**See you next Sunday...Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. I haven't heard from some of you in awhile and that makes me nervous...and a bit sad!**


	28. Chapter 28

****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.** **

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, and J'me; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Mother's Day! I hope you find yourselves surrounded by your families and loved ones on this very special day.**

***To my own mom, this chapter is dedicated to you! I miss you and love you very much...**

**Now...on with the story...  
**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 28**

"Remind me why I thought it would be a good idea to have Thanksgiving at our house, please?" Isabella sighed as she laid her pencil down on the ever-growing grocery list. She had less than a week to get everything she needed and she wasn't at all sure it could be done.

Edward chuckled and then handed her the cup of hot chocolate he'd made for her. He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose before turning around to get his own. "Love, I would guess it's because you are...nuts." He grinned and then took a sip of his drink, choking on it when she glared at him.

"Serves you right," she harrumphed and then picked her pencil up again to write down something else she just remembered she needed to pick up.

He set his mug down on the island and then walked over to stand behind her. She didn't acknowledge him standing there, but she didn't push him away either. He figured he had about a fifty-fifty shot of digging himself out of the hole he'd suddenly found himself in. He should have known better, really. Usually Isabella had a wicked sense of humor and they enjoyed teasing each other on a daily basis, but she'd been unusually stressed about the upcoming holiday, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

"I'm sorry for teasing you," he whispered as he brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Can I do anything to help?"

"No," she uncharacteristically snapped at him. Of course, she followed that immediately with a sigh of remorse and laid the pencil down once more. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm just...I have so much to do and I know I'm going to forget something," she finished, blowing a piece of hair out of her face.

"Hmmm," he said and then turned and sat on the stool next to her. He was facing her and he reached out and took her hands in his. "Yeah, that isn't gonna fly, Beautiful. Talk to me. What's going on?" he asked softly and squeezed her hands in his.

She'd known damn good and well that he would never let her stew and fret so why she bothered trying to pretend things were just fine, she had no clue. Though, in her defense, she couldn't really pinpoint what was causing her to excessively worry either. It's not like she wasn't fully capable of arranging dinner, though that dinner was now for nineteen people. All the members of both families would be there, as well as Jasper, Alice, Marcus, Camille, Alec, Sophie, Max, and a mystery guest of Nonna's named Alessandra that Nonna swore would be a perfect match for Alec. Isabella had learned long ago to not question anything her wise grandmother ever did.

The number of people that would be coming for dinner was daunting to be sure, but it was nothing she couldn't handle, especially with her mother's and Nonna's help. No, it was much more than that.

Knowing she might as well tell him, because there was no way he'd let it go, she said, "Edward, this the first time we've ever spent a holiday here, at our house, with everyone. It's kind of a big deal. I just want everything to be perfect."

"That's because you're you. Look, I'm not saying this isn't a big deal," he went on in a rush when he spied that dip between her eyebrows, "but everything will be great. Isabella, if all we had was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner, it wouldn't matter as long as we're all together. The fact that we get to eat some fucking awesome food cooked by you, Renée, and Nonna is just icing on the cake." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then continued, "For the first time, ever, we'll all be able to spend the day together without any walls and without any secrets. Honestly? I can't wait."

"I know you're right, sweetheart, but it doesn't stop me from worrying, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum, okay? Besides, I can't wait to meet the mysterious Alessandra. Nonna hasn't stopped talking about her since she asked me if she could join us," she giggled.

She was so excited to meet the woman her Nonna professed was a perfect match for Alec. Isabella couldn't even begin to imagine what such a woman was like but she was excited to meet her. Alec not only deserved to find someone special, he sure needed someone to keep him in line as well. To most it would seem impossible that Nonna could find Alec someone after spending so little time with him, but Isabella knew better. Her grandmother was the most intuitive person she'd ever met.

Poor Alec was beside himself with both anticipation and dread, though the only person he let know that was her, and that was only after she threatened him during their weekly lunch date. Alec was able to fool most people, but never her, nor did he ever really try. He was ready to settle down and make a life with someone, but he didn't have the first idea how to go about finding that special someone. He'd been on more dates than he could count since the opera with Amber and not one ever resulted in a second. He was about to give up dating altogether, he'd proclaimed, when she'd told him about her grandmother's request to invite someone to dinner. She chuckled when she remembered the terrified but hopeful way he'd looked at her.

"I pity the poor woman if it turns out she's as perfect for Alec as Nonna says she is. He can be a real pain in the ass when he wants to be, though, selfishly I must say, if he finds himself a good woman, maybe he can stop pining after mine," Edward grumbled and then scooted her stool closer to his.

"So, I'm a good woman, huh?" she teased as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"The best and even more important than that, mine," he growled and then leaned forward and kissed her...hard.

He quickly felt things take a turn and considering she didn't resist him, he pulled her even closer. He curled his fingers in her hair and let out a low groan when she wrapped her arms tightly around him. For weeks now, ever since he'd gotten the tattoo and he'd given her the necklace, their love life had taken a decided turn toward...hell, he didn't even know. It wasn't like it was an area that needed improvement, but even he had to admit that each and every time they made love now, and he was lucky enough that it was even more frequent than before, was even better than the time before.

It didn't matter if it was slow and gentle or hard and fast. It was like some switch had been flipped and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. It also didn't matter where they were as evidenced by the workout the couch in his office had gotten as of late, not to mention the penthouse when they couldn't wait until they got back to Evanston. He wanted her - every second of every day. There were times he literally thought he would go mad if he couldn't have her, couldn't be inside of her, feeling her fall apart, hearing her whimper and moan his name.

Isabella was as turned on as ever and she swore every time he kissed her, she thought she would come undone. She could spend hours just kissing him and really it was one of her favorite things to do...ever. The way he kissed her, as if he was literally making love to her mouth, set her on fire every damn time. Even if it was just a quick peck on the lips as he rushed to the office in the morning or when they were at home making dinner together and he pressed her up against the counter because he couldn't wait another moment, it didn't matter. There wasn't anything, well besides making love to him of course, that she enjoyed more.

"Ah, shit...Edward," she murmured when she had to breathe.

He chuckled and sucked on the skin of her neck taking care to make sure he breathed in her ear and when she did that sexy as hell squeak-whimper thing he loved so much, he sat back and gave her a heart-stopping, panty-wetting smile.

"Yes, love?" he questioned none too innocently, especially when he ran a thumb across her now hardened nipple.

"You are such an ass," she giggled at him and shook her head.

"Yes, love," he agreed and then did it again because he just couldn't help it.

_Well_ , she thought, _two could play that game,_ so she leaned forward and casually let her fingers graze the front of his jeans. When he sucked in a sharp breath she smiled seductively at him and raised her eyebrow at him.

"Did you have something else you wanted to say, sweetheart?" she asked him in the same tone of voice he'd just used on her.

He chuckled again and shook his head. "Point made, you sexy vixen," he said and bent forward and kissed the tip of her nose. "Now, unless you want to take this upstairs or hell, even the wall over there," he motioned with a tip of his chin, "I say we call a truce. At least until we get everything done we need to today."

"Fine, fine," she teased and kissed him quickly on the lips before she slid off the stool and stood up.

He looked at her dressed in a pair of ass-hugging black jeans, a red turtleneck sweater that did nothing to hide how perfect her breasts were, and a pair of black boots with a heel that looked anything but comfortable and groaned. Christ, she was so damn beautiful... and sexy...and...his. Her hair fell down over her shoulders in soft waves, her necklace hung prominently around her neck, and her friendship bracelet was around her small wrist. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to spend the whole day with her, doing normal things like grocery shopping, picking up their dry cleaning, going by the home improvement store to get the things she needed to winterize her garden. Things he had never pictured himself doing but things he couldn't live without now.

He had wanted to ask Seth if he knew how much time he had left, it had been on the tip of his tongue more times than he could count, he just couldn't make himself ask the damn question. He was terrified of the answer of course, but still, he really wanted to know. Ever since he'd told Isabella about his birth parents, he wanted to take her on a trip to Ireland so she could see where he came from. He had almost made his peace with Liam and Maggie and though he was sure he'd always have some lingering feelings of animosity toward them, he really was trying to lay them to rest and move on. Taking Isabella to Ireland he figured, would be the perfect way to do that. He just wasn't sure there would be time for it.

Time. It really was a word he'd begun to despise, but on the other hand, it was the guiding force to everything he did. Time to spend with Isabella. Time to heal his family. Time to live the life he'd always been meant to live. Time. It was everything and he'd long since learned not to take it for granted.

Ever.

Isabella watched Edward watching her out of the corner of her eye as she gathered her lists together and made sure she had her cell phone and her purse. He was dressed in a long-sleeved forest green button-down with the sleeves rolled up past his forearms, a pair of black jeans, and her favorite black boots. He was dressed casually and comfortably but she would be willing to bet that there wasn't a man alive that did comfortable and casual as sexily as her husband did. He positively exuded raw sex appeal and it was all she could do not to lick her lips as she stared at him.

She sighed. _If only there weren't things that had to get done today,_ she thought with a regretful shake of her head. Oh, the things they could do to pass the time.

He stood up and asked, "You ready?"

She nodded and then they walked to the garage. She was surprised when he passed both his car and hers and instead stopped by the Escalade. "I figured we needed a bigger car today," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He opened the door and helped her into the front seat, taking the time to make sure he ran his hand over her ass and when she whipped her head around to look at him, he didn't even try to act like he'd done it on accident.

They spent an incredible day together just doing normal, everyday things. They'd picked up some pumpkins and hay bales to decorate the front porch. At the home improvement store they spent over an hour in the outdoor department while Edward peppered the poor salesman with questions about the difference between LED Christmas lights and regular bulbs, questions Isabella would have bet every penny she'd ever made he wouldn't have ever asked in a million years. He was so cute and so sweet; she didn't stop smiling the whole time they were there. Edward had wanted to stop by the electronics store to buy a Wii to have at the house. He said it was so that Jack and Emma would have something to do when they came to visit, but he didn't fool her for one minute, especially when he made sure to ask the salesman if the bowling game came with the game console. They ate lunch a cute little diner, even sitting on the same side of the booth much to the amusement of their very friendly waitress. By the time they got home after grocery shopping, Isabella wasn't sure she'd ever had a better day.

Especially when she spent all night showing Edward just how much she enjoyed spending the day with him...over and over and over again.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

"Nonna," Isabella asked on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, "tell me more about Alessandra."

Renée and Gianna had come over to help her cook a few things to get ready for the next day. Isabella did not want to spend the entire day in the kitchen and hoped to have as much done ahead of time as possible. Some things like the turkey and the traditional Italian leg of lamb would have to wait until tomorrow, but others like the stuffing, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, and the pies could all be made ahead of time.

It had been a long time since the three women spent time in the kitchen together and Isabella was enjoying every moment of it. She had thought about inviting Esme, Rose, and Alice, but the opportunity to have some uninterrupted time with her mother and Nonna was just too good to pass up. Edward was with Charlie, Marcus, and Alec supposedly picking up firewood and an extra table and some chairs for tomorrow. Obviously it wasn't a job that required four people and Isabella knew full well that most of the night would be spent in front of a television somewhere watching some sports thing on TV, but she didn't care. Edward would enjoy himself and she would, too, and that was all that mattered.

"Well, Cari," Nonna said after taking a dainty sip of her wine, "she's positively lovely."

"Yes, Nonna, I figured as much, but tell me about her. Where did you meet her? Why isn't she spending the day with her family? Not that I mind her being here of course, but I'm just dying to know more about her." Isabella giggled and tried to rein in some of her excitement.

She was so looking forward to meeting Alessandra and seeing Alec's reaction to her. She had a feeling things were about to change for her dear friend and she honestly couldn't be happier about that.

"Well, I met her at church. She's recently moved to the area and works with special needs children. Her family is from Boston and she can't go home for the holiday and of course I didn't want her to be alone. Not to mention, she will be absolutely perfect for our Alec. That boy needs a good, strong woman to keep him in line and Alessandra is just the one to do that," Nonna answered emphatically. There was not one doubt in her mind that Alessandra and Alec would hit it off immediately. Poor Alec wouldn't know what hit him by the time tomorrow was done.

The women continued to work and visit and Renée was positively over the moon she was so happy to be spending time with her two favorite women. Since her father had passed away she had only gotten closer to her mother and the relationship she had with Isabella was the most special one she could envision. She hadn't had a whole lot of time to spend with her daughter as of late, due to it being busiest time of year for her at the studio, so to be able to spend a whole evening with both women was surely a treat.

She and Charlie had talked, and talked...and talked some more about the revelations Edward had shared with them and though they were both still struggling a bit to understand how both sets of Edward's parents could have acted the way they did, they were nothing but supportive toward Edward and Isabella. To finally know everything her son-in-law had had to endure in his life just made her love him all the more. And honestly speaking, she already loved him a whole hell of a lot before that to begin with, and always had.

The rest of the evening flew by and the counters, the island, and even the dining room table were covered with enough food to feed an army, though Isabella figured between Emmett, Alec, and her dad, they needed that much food. Just as she was taking the last pie out of the oven, she heard the garage door open and then in walked Edward, her dad, Marcus, and Alec who made a beeline straight for Nonna.

"Nonna, how's my favorite girl?" he flirted and kissed her soundly on the cheek.

"Oh, you stop that now," she said as she playfully swatted his arm. "You better behave yourself, Alec Tipton, and besides, we all know Isabella is your favorite girl, at least until tomorrow," she teased right back.

"Damn straight she is, especially when she's carrying apple pie," he said as he licked his lips only to run straight into Edward.

Edward stood with his arms folded across his chest, trying like hell to fight the smirk that really wanted to come out, but he had a point to make. "I think, Alec, you'd best remember whose girl Isabella is."

"Oh, whatever, Ed, besides...she has...pie!" Alec chuckled and pointed toward the pie as if that explained everything.

Marcus snickered under his breath and looked at Charlie, saying, "He's a fucking idiot."

Isabella rolled her eyes and set the aforementioned pie on the counter and then turned toward her moronic friend. "You know that pie is for tomorrow, so you'll just have to wait like everyone else."

"Ah, damn, Bella. You know apple pie is my favorite, especially yours." Alec pouted and he thought he was doing a damn fine job in getting her to give in...that was until she shook her head at him.

"Not going to work, pal. Tomorrow. No sooner," she admonished him and then wrapped her arm around Edward's waist. "Has he been this impossible all night?" she asked him.

"Worse," Charlie laughed and then Alec glared at Edward and Marcus when they both nodded their heads in complete agreement. "Seems he's a bit nervous about tomorrow."

No one missed the playful gleam in Charlie's eyes or the loud gulp that followed from Alec. "You guys all suck...well except for you, Renée, and of course you, Nonna," he grumbled, which just made everyone laugh even harder at his pitiful self.

Gianna set down the towel she had in her hand and then walked to the poor boy. "Cari, stop stressing yourself out over this," she told him with an indulgent smile. The man tried to be as hard as nails on the outside, but she saw straight through that. He was soft as a marshmallow on the inside and just wanted to be loved, and find someone to love in return, just like everyone else. Much like her granddaughter, she had quite the soft spot for Alec and selfishly she hoped if things went as well tomorrow as she felt they would, she would get to see a lot more of him.

"Hmph," he muttered and then tried not to smirk. He did have a reputation to uphold and all.

The rest of the evening passed while the women finished their cooking and tried to keep the men out of the food. It was a good thing Emmett wasn't there; Isabella wasn't sure how they would have managed that.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOOO~~~~~**

The next morning Edward woke up alone in bed; a fact which displeased him immensely. He hated waking up alone, and it was only the smells from downstairs floating upward that kept him from pouting...much. He knew Isabella would be in the kitchen at the crack of dawn so he wasn't the least bit surprised, no matter that he was really hoping to start their Thanksgiving showing proper thanks, but he supposed it could wait.

He laid in bed for a few minutes going over a mental list of all the things he was thankful for, starting with his magnificent wife and then worked his way down. Not surprising, the list was rather extensive and it seemed to grow with each passing day. He supposed that was the one good thing in knowing your time was going to be up soon: you sure as hell never took things for granted and you definitely learned to appreciate the little things. It also went without saying he'd much rather have learned that particular lesson a long time ago, and without a pain in the ass angel reminding him every time he turned around, too.

Speaking of pain in the ass..."Happy Thanksgiving, Edward Anthony," the annoying voice said from his usual perch in the corner chair.

Edward lazily turned his head, not sure how he felt at being interrupted while he was being introspective, and said, "Morning."

Seth smirked at him and let his ice blue eyes twinkle playfully. He supposed he could have given Edward a bit more time to lay in bed and think, but Seth wanted to talk to him for a few minutes before he had to get up and begin his day. Besides, he wouldn't want Edward to think he was slacking in the whole being a pain in the ass department now would he?

"How's things today?" the angel asked casually.

Edward rolled his eyes impressively and snorted, "As I've only been awake less than ten minutes, it's kind of hard to say yet, but so far so good."

Seth shrugged his shoulders, not bothered in the least by the implications of that statement. He had things he wanted to speak with Edward about and because the lovely Isabella was occupied downstairs, he figured now was as good a time as any. There really wasn't a lot left to say or do, the angel admitted with a sense of both pride and sadness, in regard to Edward. This assignment had most definitely been his most challenging, but as he'd known from the very beginning all those years ago, his most rewarding as well. There would never be another one that would mean as much as this one did. Of that, Seth was certain.

As always with these things, Seth still did not know when Edward's time would end, and as difficult as that fact had always been with his other assignments, with this one, it was positively excruciating. He often found himself hoping and fervently praying that somehow Edward would be spared and be granted the time he so deservedly worked for, even though Seth knew it really wasn't his place to ask or pray for such a thing. As an angel, he was well aware of the way it worked. When it was time, it was time. Didn't mean he had to like it though, and he most certainly did not like it...at all...at least in this particular case.

But, that was really neither here nor there, especially at the moment.

"How are you feeling about today?" Seth questioned, though it probably wasn't necessary as Edward had done nothing but smile all week.

"Spectacular," Edward answered simply...simply because there wasn't anything else to say about it.

Both he and the all-knowing angel knew full well that having all his family and friends over to spend the holiday together was a big deal. They both knew nothing of the sort had ever happened before, barring his wedding reception. They both also knew it was just one more milestone to mark off on the imaginary list Seth was checking things off on...or whatever he was using to keep track of all the things Edward had accomplished.

The keen angel scrutinized his charge and once again marveled, silently of course, how content he seemed. Yep, he silently fist bumped himself, helping get Edward to this place was most definitely his greatest accomplishment. He frowned, though, when he realized that now that such a thing had happened, he wasn't sure what that meant for him going forward. How could any other assignment ever fulfill him as much as this one had? Make no mistake, he wished and hoped that he would have to continue watching over and guiding Edward for a very long, long time to come, but the thought of what came after...well, he figured he and Gideon were going to have to have a very serious discussion very soon.

"How do you think the others will react to Max and especially Sophie being here?"

Edward sat up higher against the back of the bed and crossed his arms but he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "I think it'll be fine to be honest with you. Isabella and Sophie have gotten along great the few times we've seen her over the past few weeks and Max is a pretty cool guy. He and Emmett will get along really well, I think."

It was so unexpected to have Sophie back in his life after all this time, but he couldn't deny how happy it made him either. Especially so because truthfully, Isabella seemed to welcome her presence as much, if not more, than he did. Sophie and Isabella were fast becoming friends and that made him more pleased than he could express. He was painfully aware of how much his past behavior had affected them both, especially in relation to how much time they spent with others. His wife was such a captivating person, she literally drew almost everyone that was around her to her, and it was really almost unforgivable that he had held her back for so long. Not that she would ever tell him that of course, but he knew it was true even if she was too sweet to say anything.

She was too sweet to say a lot of things he was sure he had deserved over the years. He shook his head to stop himself from going down a road that did not need to be traveled, today of all days especially.

"Any idea how Alec and Alessandra's meeting will go today?" Edward questioned with a smirk.

It made him ridiculously happy, though he would never admit it in a million years, that whenever Alec's name was brought up, the angel looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to throttle poor Alec or give him a hug. Honestly speaking, Edward usually had much the same dilemma, even though Alec was one of his closest friends.

The angel chuckled and the scowl was replaced with a knowing smile. "Eddie, my boy, I'd be willing to bet, and we've long established not to bet against me, that by the end of the day you will have one less person to compete with for the attentions of the lovely Isabella."

Edward snorted, loudly, and rolled his eyes. "Not to sound too full of myself or anything," he said casually and with a very self-satisfied grin, "but we all know Isabella is totally nuts about me so the rest of you fools should all just stop while you're ahead, even you, my friend."

Seth laughed loudly and the sound, very much like a locomotive rumbling over the railroad tracks, made the windows rattle as well. "That she is, my boy, most assuredly," he conceded. "Always has been, always will be, too," he teased and then sobered immediately when the smile fell from his charges face. "Ah, Edward Anthony," the tone changing to one of patience and knowing, "try not to think about that today. Enjoy your day with your family and friends. Celebrate all you have to be thankful for and trust that things will work out the way they are meant to be."

Edward sighed, pushing back all feelings of despair and melancholy. "I will," he said and squared his shoulders. That feeling, the one that was present almost every waking moment now, enveloped him again and he felt his muscles relax and his stomach unclench as the warmth worked its magic. He heard Isabella on the steps and his heart lurched in anticipation. Christ he really was a lovesick fool, and was about to admit to just that but noticed that he was...blessedly alone.

"Damn show off, pain in the ass angel," he muttered just as the door opened to reveal his very beautiful wife.

"You're awake," Isabella said in a half squeal half gasp of surprise and he swore, if it was possible, and only God knew how it could be, he fell in love with her just a bit more in that very instant.

She had on a pair of flannel pajama pants, one of his t-shirts that she'd knotted at the bottom and had her hair up in a high ponytail, emphasizing a large amount of mouthwatering pale skin on her neck. A few strands had come loose and stuck to the side of her face because she'd been busy moving in the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed with the prettiest shade of pink he'd ever seen in his life and her eyes...he groaned when he lost himself in them, even from across the room. They were so clear and bright, and sparkled in a way he'd never seen before. She'd been so tense all week, though thankfully the time spent with Renée and Nonna last night had seemed to ease most of her worries. But this morning, right now, she positively glowed from the inside out.

"Beautiful," he said on a stuttered breath, having no idea whether he was commenting on her appearance or calling her the name he used for her, though they were one in the same as far as he was concerned.

"Happy Thanksgiving," she told him as she stared at him from the doorway. He was still deliciously sleep rumpled; his hair was a riotous mess on top of his head, his smile was lazy and so damn sexy, and his chest, she groaned, was all hard and still thankfully, naked...as was the rest of him she rather hoped.

"Come here," he beckoned her with a sinful smirk and a curl of his finger.

She thought, for about zero point two seconds, of being stubborn and staying where she was, but she could no more resist him when he looked like that than she could breathing. It just wasn't possible.

Wasting no time she hurried to her side of the bed and as soon as she had one knee on it, he'd reached over and pulled her onto his lap. Giggling, she ran her hands through his hair and looked down at him. He stared up into the coffee-colored windows to her heart and soul and groaned needily in the back on his throat. "Damn, Isabella," he whispered as he slid his hand around her neck, purposely sweeping his thumb along her jaw and then over her pulse point, which he noted with supreme satisfaction was racing. He pulled her down to him, tilting her head just slightly to the side, and then covered her mouth with his. Her top lip fit perfectly between both of his and they were so fucking soft, he would swear there wasn't anything as soft as her lips. When his tongue darted out and flicked at her bottom lip, he growled when the taste of sweet pumpkin exploded in his mouth. "Have you been sampling this morning, love?" he asked, smiling against her lips...the ones which he swept his tongue across again before plunging it into her mouth.

She tasted so sweet and a little spicy. She tasted like warmth and love and happiness...and home.

He was sure he never, ever wanted to stop kissing her.

"Hmmm, yes," she answered him. "You would have been able to as well, if you wouldn't have stayed in bed all morning," she teased and rocked against him. Yep, definitely still naked, she noted when her center was pressed against him.

Before she knew what was happening, she was on her back, looking up at him and of course he made her so damn wet when he looked at her like he wanted to sample her...not that she saw anything wrong with that...at all. Apparently he was of the same mind because he bent his head down and nipped and licked up the side of her neck so very slowly she thought she would go crazy until he was finally breathing heavily in her ear saying, "But if I would have gotten up, Beautiful, I couldn't do this, now could I?"

He slid his hand underneath her pajamas and bit down on her neck when he realized she didn't have anything underneath them. His fingers slipped through her already slick folds and when he circled her bundle of nerves with his very talented and insistent fingers, she was definitely most thankful he hadn't gotten out of bed yet, and was even more so when he pushed her shirt over her head and her pants down her legs and entered her slowly, whispering, "Happy Thanksgiving, Isabella."

A few hours later, their house was more full than it had ever been. Alec and Alessandra hadn't stopped talking since they'd been introduced and paid no attention to anyone but each other as they sat huddled in the corner of the living room by the fireplace. Emma hadn't left Edward's arms since she threw herself into them, Emmett hadn't stopped trying to sneak bites of food, and Charlie hadn't taken his eyes off the football game on the television.

Isabella had stepped outside onto the deck to get a breath of fresh air once things were well in hand in the kitchen and turned when she heard someone open the door behind her.

"You don't mind some company do you?" Sophie asked and handed her new friend a glass of wine Renée had poured for them.

Isabella smiled warmly at her and shook her head. Dinner would be an hour or so away yet, because they'd decided to actually have their meal at dinner time. That way the others, like Alice, Marcus, and Max that had family close by could have time to go to both places.

"Thank you so much for asking Max and me to come today, Bella. It's been so great catching up with Emmett and Alec and everyone else. I haven't seen Carlisle and Esme in a long time either, so it has been nice seeing them as well," Sophie told her and had to stop herself from cringing as soon as the words left her mouth.

It had taken quite the stern talking to from Isabella for her not to feel guilty about her friendship with Edward. Rationally she knew she had nothing to apologize for, but after Edward had told her the same story he'd told everyone else and he'd told her a bit of what his behavior had been like for the past few years, she couldn't help but wish she'd done more for him. Isabella was absolutely perfect for him, and she was so happy for Edward to finally be at a place in his life that he wasn't afraid to let others in and let everyone see the real him. She'd always known he could be happy if he'd only let himself.

Honestly, she was pleasantly surprised at how close she and Isabella had gotten already. She was prepared for her to be wary of her but nothing could have been farther from the truth. The instant Edward had introduced them to each other, it was as if they'd known each other for years. At that first dinner, she spent more time talking to Isabella than she had Edward. She supposed it was because they both understood Edward and Isabella was so confident in Edward's love for her that she was able to appreciate what she'd try to do for Edward all those years ago, and know without a shadow of a doubt, that friendship had been the only thing between them.

"Well, we're so happy you were able to be here and that Max's family decided to do their Thanksgiving so early," Isabella said and took a sip of her wine.

"Things seem to be much better between Edward and Carlisle and Esme," Sophie remarked after a moment.

Isabella turned and sat down on the bench that she and Edward had often used for their late night cuddle sessions under the stars. "Yeah, they are. It's been a long time, Sophie, and it's been so hard for him, for all of them really. There have been so many years of distance and bitterness, I sometimes wonder how the hell he managed to even survive it at all." She knew she could be perfectly honest with Sophie, in a way she couldn't with most everyone else because she had seen Edward at his worst and had always understood that there was someone very different under the veneer he'd hidden beneath for so long.

"Bella, what do you really think happened to make Edward change? Do you really believe it was just a plane ride that got a bit bumpy?" Sophie asked because she really, truly wanted to know.

Taking another sip of her wine, Isabella took a moment to look around the deck and let her eyes fall on the chaise where Edward had made love to her all those months ago. She'd known the moment he'd touched her when she first opened her eyes, that her Edward was fighting his way through the hurt, the pain, the fear, and the walls he'd erected to find his way...to her. She'd had her moments over the course of the last few years and even over the past few months when she was certain she was destined to live her life not ever being truly happy because Edward would never be. She was convinced that those walls would never come down, no matter how hard she tried or prayed or begged, but then he'd do something: touch her a certain way, look at her when he thought she couldn't see, say something and she knew... _knew_...that he would find his way out of the dark and truly let her in.

"Edward hasn't changed, Sophie, not really. The Edward that plays the Wii with Jack and colors in a coloring book on the floor with Emma, is the real Edward. The one that plays golf with my dad and beats him because he can't stand to lose, is the real Edward. The one that teases Alec mercilessly but secretly can't wait for him to be happy because he loves him so much, is the real Edward. The one that came home and looked like a kid in a candy store because he'd caught up with and reconnected with an old and dear friend, is the real Edward. The one that single-handedly put his family back together...that is the real Edward...my Edward. You and I have both always known he was there, he was just too scared and had been hurt too much to risk letting anyone see that. Was it a plane ride that made him realize he could open up to me and to everyone else? I have no idea and frankly, I don't give a damn. It doesn't matter a bit to me what opened his eyes, only that they did. You were a good friend to him when he needed one the most, Sophie, and I can never, ever thank you enough for that. I know it's because of you that he was able to let me in, just the tiny bit he did, to take a chance on loving me. He's my entire world, as I'm his, as sappy and sentimental as that is to say, but it's nothing but the truth. We are each other's other half," Isabella said with a shrug and totally non-apologetic for sounding like a princess in a fairytale as she talked about her imaginary Prince Charming.

"You two are so good for and to each other. It's quite beautiful to watch," Sophie told her.

Isabella didn't say anything to that because a response wasn't necessary, though she did offer her a smile. She'd always felt that way watching her parents together, or when she heard her Nonna talk about her Angelo, and the fact that someone felt that way watching her and Edward filled her with a sense of pride and so many other things she couldn't even name them all. Instead she changed the subject so she didn't bore poor Sophie to tears going on and on about how wonderful her husband was.

"Did you know that Edward got an email from Anna just this week?" she asked and then chuckled when poor Sophie very nearly choked on her wine.

"You are kidding me, right? I mean I know Edward said Anna had changed but holy...that is just...wow," Sophie breathed out and shook her head now that she had caught her breath.

Isabella's eyes gleamed and she nodded in agreement. "I know. It's really strange but I find myself rooting for her to change her life around. Apparently, she's left town for the time being. With the mess Vincent has made of things at Sinclair Publishing, she kind of had to. The man was harassing her and trying to do everything within his power to get her and her family to help him when the banks called in their loans. He's really not stable at all, so I'm happy she's away from the mess. She deserves to turn her life around and she can't do that here or with him trying to weasel his way back into her life. She took the first step when she left him, she'll do what she needs to do, I have faith in that."

Sophie was, quite literally, speechless listening to Isabella talk, as was evident by the fact that her bottom jaw was about to come unhinged her mouth hung open so much. "Soph, stop looking at me like I started talking to you in tongues for goodness sake!"

"Bella, I can't believe, after everything that happened, after what she did to Edward, that you'd be that...gracious toward her. I mean I can because, well, you're you, but no way would anyone else do that," Sophie told her, being completely serious.

"I know she was horrible to Edward when they were together," she began and she had to physically force that word out of her mouth, "but he wasn't totally without blame either. She's changed, and we all know he has, so as long as she doesn't try to hurt him again, I'm fine."

Sophie laughed when she saw that fire in Isabella's eyes. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, Bella,"

"Not likely, Sophie. Did Edward tell you what happened with Vincent when we saw him at the opera?" she asked with a gleam in her eye and when Sophie shook her head no, Isabella chuckled and leaned in close to tell her about their confrontation.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Edward walked past the door to the deck and smiled when he saw Isabella and Sophie laughing about something. He figured more than likely it was about him and he was really okay with that. He was headed for the dining room where the table was already covered with food and his stomach growled when he could smell the turkey from the kitchen. Apparently he wasn't the only one that couldn't resist sampling something, because when he walked in the room, Carlisle was pilfering a deviled egg from the platter.

"Hungry, Carlisle?" Edward teased and then chuckled when he whipped his head around looking sheepish.

"All this food," Carlisle answered, popping the hors d'ouerve in his mouth and waving his hand over the table. "What do they expect?"

Edward followed suit and grabbed an egg and ate it in two bites. He grabbed two more and handed Carlisle one saying, "They should expect we're going to eat it if they are going to tempt us."

The two men stood in silence for a few moments though thankfully it wasn't uncomfortable. They had really come such a long way already and it made what Carlisle was about to say much, much easier.

"Thank you for having us here today, son. I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday than all together."

Edward wiped his mouth on a napkin and nodded his head. "I totally agree. I have a lot to be thankful for," he said truthfully.

"I think we all do," Carlisle answered back. "Are you...I mean...I know this is a lot for you, having so many people here at one time. How are you holding up?"

"It's fine," Edward told him actually quite touched that Carlisle would be concerned about such a thing. "I actually don't mind so much, you know? Things are so much better now that it almost seems silly to have acted the way I did for so long."

"Edward, no," Carlisle said immediately, not wanting to hear Edward berate himself at all for things that had happened in the past. "You were hurt first by your parents and then by your mother and me by our actions. I still have yet to decide which is worse: parents completely ignoring their own child or parents that do nothing to help when it's obvious the child is hurting."

"Sorry," Edward said after a deep sigh. "I didn't mean to bring this up, today of all days."  
Carlisle strode toward the windows and looked out them for a moment not really seeing what was out there though, because his mind was so full of flashes of images that flickered in and out of focus. "I hate what they did to you, Edward. I hate that you never celebrated a birthday or opened presents on Christmas morning. I hate that Liam never taught you how to play baseball and that you were never able to go on family vacations." He turned around and said softly, "I hate that I'm not sure I can ever forgive either one of them for hurting you the way they did. I have my own mistakes to live with and atone for, but they were your flesh and blood, Edward, I just don't understand. How do you do it? How do you forgive when you're so damn angry?"

Edward was shocked by the words that Carlisle had just spoken and the agonized tone he'd said them in. However, he would try to answer him as best he could. "It's hard, Carlisle, so fucking hard," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe it's harder with them than it was with you and Esme because they aren't here, I don't know. I'm trying to get there, to forgive them, but I'm not there yet. I've made...peace I suppose...with what happened to me, but I'll never forget. I'll never forget what it felt like to feel like I didn't matter, that I could never be enough, but thanks to Isabella and to the rest of you, I know I do matter and I know I am enough. I hope to get to a place where I can forgive them, but it's going to take some time. I'd like to think that making the effort to forgive is what matters the most," he finished and had to take a few deep breaths.

Jesus, he wanted to forgive them, he really did, but he just wasn't there yet. He and Seth had talked about it, a lot, and the angel had told him over and over again that recognizing he wanted to try to forgive them was the first step...the rest would come when he was ready. He wasn't going to beat himself up because he wasn't ready though, not when he had done so much already.

Carlisle looked, as was becoming a habit where Edward was concerned, in awe at his son. The grace and wisdom he let shine through was something to behold. He was so damn proud of him, for being the man he was, after all he'd been through. There was never anyone Carlisle had admired more, and he doubted he ever would.

"I love you, son," Carlisle said over the huge lump that had taken up permanent residence in his throat.

Edward leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him and said,"I...I love you, too." And then with one last look in which he flashed him a genuine smile, he went to go find his wife.

Carlisle stood stock still for he didn't even know how long as he tried to get his breathing under some semblance of control. He wasn't at all sure he ever would and if he felt as good as he did now, he wasn't sure that was a bad thing...at all.

He found his way to the restroom and splashed some cold water on his face, taking a moment to stare at his reflection in the mirror. The smile that he saw in the mirror was as big and bright as he could ever remember sporting, or at least as big as it had been in some time. He shook his head, going back over the conversation he'd just had with Edward and if it was possible, was more in awe of him now that the words had had time to float around in his mind than he was when Edward had spoken them the first time. He laughed out loud and then covered his mouth, hoping that no one had heard the outburst and then he dropped his hands, not caring in the least.

After he dried his hands he made his way back toward the kitchen and then followed the sound of the voices wafting in through the front door. Everyone, and he did mean everyone, had meandered outside to enjoy the last of the daylight and the perfect weather. He looked around and took a moment to drink in the scene. In one corner of the huge porch that ran the length of the front of the house sat Isabella, Camille, and Alessandra. Esme was deep in discussion at the other end with Gianna and Renée while Emma climbed on the hay bales in front of them. Rose, Alice, and Sophie were standing in the front yard laughing at the rest of the crew. Charlie and Jasper, along with Alec, Marcus, and Max, were deep in discussion over something that looked vitally important, judging from the way Charlie was waving his arms about. Beside them Edward and Emmett were tossing a football with Jack and it was a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

"Hey, Ed, let's play a quick game of touch football. You, me, Jack, and...hmmm, Jas, and Max against the rest of these yahoos. What do you say? Bella said dinner was at least an hour away. I'm starving and I need something to keep my mind off of turkey and stuffing," Emmett said and sounded like he was Ralphie asking for that Red Ryder BB gun.

"Sounds good to me, brother," Edward said and tossed him back the football. "Round everyone up and we'll get started." Edward looked toward the porch and found Isabella watching him and he very blatantly smirked and then winked at her, loving the fact that she not only blushed at his over the top flirting, but she loved it, too. He waved at his mom and then laughed when Emma stood on her little wobbly legs on the top of the hay bales, triumphant in her success. He then noticed Carlisle standing in the middle of the front steps and with not one second thought yelled out, "Hey, Dad, come play football with us."

Carlisle swore and he would swear every day until the day he died and hell, he'd still swear beyond that, that the second the word 'Dad' reached his ears it was as if Heaven above broke out in song. In twenty years, there wasn't ever...EVER...a word that had sounded so sweet.

Isabella gasped and then stood and then sat back down again totally stupefied at what she'd just heard. Tears ran down her face and she waited, because she knew he would, for Edward to look at her. She simply kissed the end of her fingertips and blew him a kiss because when his eyes found hers she knew nothing else was needed for him to know what she would say to him.

Esme held her shaking hand over her heart, a bit worried that the thing would fly right out of her chest. Edward...had called Carlisle...dad. She looked back and forth between the two to make sure she'd heard what she thought she did. When she saw the brilliant smile on her beloved husband's face, she knew she had. It was her dream come true and it was a moment she'd never forget.

"Holy mother of...damn," Emmett muttered and was immediately flanked by Rose on one side and Jack on the other. The former was well aware of the monumental moment that had just passed and the latter wondered what in the world was going on with all the grownups. "Rose, he just...did you hear?" he stammered and shook his head, almost afraid to do so for fear that what he'd just witnessed was just a dream.

Edward played the past ten seconds over again in his head. Yep, he'd definitely just called Carlisle dad. As it played once more he realized that not only did he use the word, he was happy about it. Ecstatic even. Actually, it bordered on insanely overjoyed but he didn't give a damn. Carlisle was Dad damn it, and he was more than ready to acknowledge that fact.

"Dad, come on, you can be on our team...Cullens against the rest of them. We'll show them how it's done," Edward called out and then looked up toward the sky.

"Thank you," he whispered and then slung an arm over his dad's shoulders.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

Far above, Seth answered back, "Happy Thanksgiving, indeed, Edward Anthony."

All around him the others of his kind had broken out in song, actually the instant the word 'dad' had left Edward's lips they'd started. They really were very emotional beings. Every single one of his brothers and sisters were as happy for Edward, and in turn for Seth, as Seth was himself. In all reality that wasn't quite the case, but he would never tell them that. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings you see.

Prisms of light danced all around, pulsating in time with the song being sung. The wings that Seth had never once shown Edward unfurled and he floated as his heart filled and soared. Edward had done it and as he felt the tears fall down his face he couldn't imagine anything as fulfilling as what he'd just witnessed.

He looked beside him as he dipped and twisted and saw Gideon. "My friend, I have never, ever witnessed anything like what I just saw. I'm in awe of you and of Edward. What you've done, what he's been able to accomplish, it's...miraculous," the older angel struggled to say because truly, he was at a loss for words.

"He's something else," Seth said with every ounce of love and pride he possessed as he looked down and watched the best damn game of touch football he'd ever seen.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

****So, Edward has finally called Carlisle Dad! It's taken such a long time to get here, but I think this was the perfect place for this, what do you think? I loved writing this chapter and showing how far they all have come. Don't worry, there is still more story to go!** **

**Be sure to take a look at the blog! Laurel has added some new polyvores for this chapter, including one with Edward and Isabella. I have to tell you, I got a little choked up at seeing my E and I together!**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com**

**The bonus scene for this chapter will show Alec and Alessandra's first date. I know we didn't see a lot of them together in this chapter so I wanted to show their date. So, if you want to read it, you're going to have to review and I'll send it out on Thursday with review replies. If you are missing any bonus scenes, you know where to find me.**

**Thanks for all the support, reviews, PM's, emails, Tweets, Retweets...and on and on. You guys are the best and I love each of you madly.**

**See you next Sunday...Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter, okay? I haven't heard from some of you in awhile and it makes me nervous...and a bit sad.**

**Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing women out there!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel! Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Jen, Kat, Mary, and J'me; you ladies are the absolute best and I love each of you dearly. Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Please read the A/N at the bottom!**

**Trust me, okay?**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Chapter 29**

The end for Edward Anthony Cullen came quickly.

It was two weeks before Christmas and Edward and Isabella had left work early hoping to get a bit of Christmas shopping done. They walked down the sidewalk, totally encased in the happy Edward/Isabella bubble that they always seemed to find themselves in, no matter where they were. They huddled close together; Isabella with an arm wrapped tightly around his waist while his arm held her close to his side. There was a light snow falling, crunching beneath their feet. The sidewalks were crowded, but because of the season, everyone nodded politely at one another and there wasn't any of the pushing and shoving you would normally find. All the windows had elaborate Christmas decorations in them, and their attempts at shopping were hindered greatly because Isabella stopped to look at every single window they passed.

"Love, come on. We're never going to get the shopping done if you keep that up. I promise once we've gotten everyone's presents, we'll come back out and you can look all you want," Edward called to her while he waited on the corner, hating that he had to tell her 'no.' She was too adorable for words and she seriously looked like a little girl with the way her eyes lit up at every display and Christmas light she passed.

They were going to cross at the corner of Oak and Rush and the light had just changed. "Beautiful, let's go," Edward called to her as he began to walk now that most everyone had crossed the street with the crosswalk sign already.

She gave one last lingering glance toward the window and then hurried to catch up to Edward. When she stepped off the sidewalk, she judged wrong, lost her footing, and fell down. Edward, realizing that she hadn't caught up, turned around and when he noticed she'd fallen, frantically started to rush to her side. He was so focused on getting to her, he didn't notice that the light had changed. Isabella did though, and with panicked eyes, tried to stand up, but couldn't due to the fact that she'd hurt herself when she fell. There were so many people milling about on the sidewalk that no one realized the tragedy that was about to happen.

Edward, noticing she seemed frozen in place, felt like the thirty feet that separated him from his _everything_ was miles instead of just feet. Suddenly it seemed like things were moving in slow motion, only they weren't. He heard the screeching of tires. It registered that some fool had rushed to beat the light and whipped around the corner and was heading straight for her.

"Isabella!" he screamed, causing people to stop and try to figure out what was happening.

He reached his arms out, praying that he would reach her in time. There was a part of his mind that was fully cognizant of the fact that it was going to be impossible for both of them to get out of the way of the car that was heading straight for her, but he didn't care as long as she was safe. Nothing mattered as long as she was out of harm's way.

Stretching his arms to the point of pain, he was able to push her to the sidewalk the moment before the front of the car, the driver of which was frantically slamming on his breaks, clipped Edward's hip and sent him spinning through the air. He landed with a grotesque thud as his head hit the pavement and was vaguely aware of the screams and shouts that were all around him.

He stared straight up into the night sky as the snow continued to fall. He knew he should probably close his eyes but he couldn't. The warmth he felt seeping from the back of his head cooled almost immediately as it pooled beneath him causing him to shiver, or maybe it was the fact that the snow continued to fall; he had no clue. He heard voices, but they sounded like they were coming from really far away, or maybe from underwater.

_Damn it_ , he finally thought through the haze of pain, _I really hoped I'd have more time.  
_  
He turned his head, knowing he would see Seth, and sure enough the angel was right by his side.

"Isabella?" he managed to choke out, fighting the urge to close his eyes.

"You saved her, Edward Anthony," Seth replied and Edward noticed that the angel's face was streaked with tears. Funny, he didn't think angels could cry. He wasn't sure why he was focusing on that, but he couldn't help it.

"She's all that matters," he whispered.

Isabella had half crawled, half stumbled from the sidewalk to where her husband lay in a heap on the ground. All around there was chaos and she knew she'd screamed, she could tell because her throat felt like it was on fire, but all she could think about was getting to Edward. The wail of the sirens pierced the air and there were flashes of red and blue, though she barely paid any attention.

"Edward, oh my God, please!" she cried when she fell to her knees beside him. The asphalt immediately scraped her knees through her wool pants, but she didn't even notice.

She picked up his hand, too afraid to touch him anywhere else. The pool of crimson beneath his head made her stomach lurch and she wanted to be sick, but nothing else mattered but him. "You're going to be fine," she sobbed, willing a higher power to make it so.

**~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~**

Edward lingered between life and death, for how long, he had no idea. Isabella's hand was gripping his, he knew that, knew she kept talking to him, telling him over and over again how much she loved him and needed him. He heard her as she begged for him to stay, to fight, but he was so tired.

So very tired.

On occasion he tried to squeeze her hand but he no idea if she felt him or not.

Voices...there were so many muffled voices, and images of the people they belonged to flitted in and out of his mind in an endless stream. Emmett and Rose...then Jasper and Alice. Carlisle and Esme...Charlie, Renée, and Nonna. He knew Sophie and Max were there as well as Marcus, Alec, and Alessandra.

Intermittently he heard a voice he didn't recognize, but it belonged to his doctor. "Mrs. Cullen, your husband is strong and in excellent health. With these types of injuries...I know it's hard, but we just have to wait and see."

Edward knew better. His time was up, and though he didn't want it to be, he was too tired to fight any longer.

The moment he thought that, he felt his body twist and then all of a sudden, he was looking down on the pandemonium in the room.

"We're losing him!" the doctor shouted and before long his hospital room was full of so many people and so many sounds.

Machines beeped frantically. Voices shouted one on top of the other. Isabella stood near the bed, holding the hands of Sophie and Nonna, praying over and over again for someone, something, to save him. Emmett stood with tears pouring down his face, one arm wrapped tightly around Rose, the other around Esme while Carlisle held her from the other side. The others wept as well, hanging on to one another. Behind Isabella Edward noticed a young boy, one that looked to have just reached his teenage years. The shock of bronze hair and the eyes that he saw every morning in the mirror alerted him immediately to who the boy was and Edward couldn't help but smile...or he felt like he was smiling, but he didn't know for sure...and then he was confused, but before he could think anything about that, he noticed the angel. Seth stood behind both the boy and Isabella, his snow white wings unfurled and protectively wrapped around them.

He tried to speak, to say, "Don't worry. I'm not afraid, I'll be okay," but he didn't know if he said it out loud, and he knew they wouldn't hear him anyway.

"He's gone..." one of the nurses said gravely and then suddenly Edward wasn't in the room anymore.

He floated for a long time, through time and space...on and on and on. His eyes had been closed and when he opened them, Seth was beside him.

"Nice wings," Edward smirked in his customary way and Seth chuckled.

"They're all right."

As they floated along, or flew, or whatever, Edward was filled with such a sense of peace and joy he thought for sure he would fall apart, though the feelings only grew the more time that passed. For once, he didn't even want to question the angel on what was happening, especially considering they were going up rather than down. Although, honestly, he kind of knew he was going up, what with his own personal angel, but it was nice to know he was right.

After a time, Edward began to look around. There were pulses of light - bright yellows, warm reds, cool blues, vivid purples - swirling all around him. The light was so bright, so blinding, but it didn't hurt his eyes, instead, it welcomed him. He could feel waves of energy flowing through him and wrap around his entire being. When he looked beside him, he was alone, but he wasn't afraid, rather he was filled with a sense of excitement. Love was all around him; a tangible force infinitely magnified when compared to what he and Isabella felt for each other.

Before he had time to reflect on her name, he heard, "Welcome, Edward Anthony."

The Voice was the loudest thunder imaginable, but it was tender and loving. It was waves crashing against rocks in the midst of a storm, but as gentle as a stream. It was wind that screamed through the air, but was as soft as a summer breeze.

There were the sounds of music and the scent of every flower imaginable floating all around him. There was even taste: deep, dark, velvety chocolate, sweet cream, strawberries, and thousands of others all mixed together. Edward was aware of it all and realized it was more than likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Surprisingly though, he wasn't the least bit scared; he certainly had no reason to be.

The Voice was neither male nor female but an amalgamation of every voice he'd ever heard and it said, "I've been waiting a very long time for you."

Edward had the most powerful wish to laugh...so he did. The whole scene was so utterly bizarre that he couldn't help it and he had a feeling the Voice...presence...spirit was laughing along with him...or maybe at him. It made no difference of course, after all, he was but a guest.

In his usual way, he smirked and said, "Well, then, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

This time he did hear a rumble of what could only be described as laughter. "It is so much nicer to see and hear you laugh, Edward Anthony, than all that scowling and snapping business," the Voice chided.

He let out an impressive sigh and ran a hand through his hair in his customary way. "I wasted so much time," he said sadly.

Immediately he was wrapped in the same familiar warmth that had been a part of his life for the past few months now, though this time it was multiplied. "I can't deny that, though you've done a remarkable job of doing what I've asked of you."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter, your...ah...messenger is kind of a bossy thing," Edward chuckled.

He heard a sound that sounded like a clap, though it was much louder of course. "Don't tell him, but he's one of my favorites and there was no one better suited to watch over you than him."

"I can't disagree with you there. He was...a lifesaver. Thank you for sending him. I'd hate to think what this," Edward gestured with a wave of his arms, "would have been like had he not shown up…but don't tell him I said that, okay?"

There was another loud chuckle then. "Your secret is safe with me, Edward Anthony. They can be rather emotional beings at time, but I do love them so."

Edward tried to look around and find the source of the Voice, but he knew it would be a wasted effort, and really, he found that he didn't need nor want to all that much in the first place. He did open his mouth and then promptly shut it, not wanting to offend whomever was in charge of where he was.

A light laugh filled the air. "Ah, my boy, you should see your face. Don't be afraid to ask what you want to know, Edward, there are no secrets anymore between you and me. What do you wish to know?"

"Why me?"

This time the rumble of laughter was even louder, but no less filled with love. "Why not you, Edward Anthony?"

"I was such a miserable man. I hurt so many people," Edward whispered forlornly.

"You did," the Voice agreed gently then went on to say, "but you were hurt as well, Edward. Look at what you've been able to do for your lovely Isabella and your family."

Edward smirked once more and then cocked an eyebrow while he said, "You mean our Isabella, right? I'll share her with you; I'm still not so sure of that angel person."

"She's something else, isn't she? I have to say, she was everything I wanted for you...and more."

"You know, I would imagine even for you, re-gifting would be a no-no." He couldn't help but growl when he thought about the fact that she was there and he was well... wherever he was.

Pulses of light danced all around and he couldn't help but smile and give himself an internal fist bump for that comment. He might be dead...or whatever he was, but that didn't mean that Isabella was fair game. She was _his_ gift. It wouldn't be fair to give her to someone else; at least he didn't think so.

"You tickle me so much, Edward Anthony. I have to tell you how much joy it brings me to watch you be the man you were always destined to become."

"Too little, too late," Edward muttered.

"Nonsense, my boy. Have you not fallen even more deeply and fully in love with your wife these past few months? Have you not mended your relationships with your brother, sister-in-law, and your adoptive parents? Haven't you found Sophie again, freed Anna from living a life she would have continued to lose herself in, and gotten closer to Jasper, Alec, and Marcus? Haven't you discovered how good of a man Charlie is and how loving Renée and Nonna truly are? Haven't you finally found the good inside of you, Edward Anthony?" the Voice questioned, but gently, lovingly.

He had the urge to run, to expend some energy, but he had no idea what the proper protocol was for what was happening. And, as much as he wanted to disagree with what the Voice had just said, he knew he couldn't.

"Yes, to everything you've just mentioned...it's just..."

"Go on," the Voice encouraged.

"Why did you wait so long to send Seth? I don't mean to complain, I really don't, but I can't help but think about how differently things might have been if he'd come sooner," Edward said cautiously, not wanting to offend. But really, could the Voice blame him for asking such a question? He shuddered as he really hoped not.

Once again warmth surrounded him, seeming to move from the inside out. The waves of light changed so that only shades of blue and purple encased him in a cocoon of calm and peace.

A gentle gust of wind floated by him and he heard the muted rumble of a sigh, or what he supposed was a sigh. He hoped it was a good sigh.

"You have no idea how hard it was to watch you suffer, my child. Being me is not without difficulty, I can assure you. As Seth has remarked to you on more than one occasion, humans are extremely flawed and their capacity to inflict harm on one another is truly astounding. Allowing Liam and Maggie to have their free will was not easy, but that is the way things work, Edward. Your pain was my pain, believe me. I don't enjoy watching suffering of any kind, but especially not when it was inflicted upon one as innocent as you were," the Voice explained.

"And my birth parents, what has happened to them?" Edward questioned after he took a moment to think about what the Voice had just told him.

Again, a gentle breeze drifted by, and this time he swore he could smell chocolate chip cookies. "They are working on their own redemption. Their journey has been much more difficult than yours because they must try to understand what went wrong. It has been painful, but of course the reward at the end will be more than worth it."

"I'll see them again?" he asked, half afraid and half longing for that to be so.

"When the time is right, most definitely. It will be much easier for you than for them, you understand. You were already well on your way to finding the forgiveness they have just begun to seek."

Edward took a moment to think about that as well. He supposed time up here...wherever he was...definitely had a different meaning than it did on Earth considering his parents had been dead for more than twenty years. However, he could not deny the small, and honestly not so small, surge of hope he felt at finally making peace with Liam and Maggie.

He narrowed his eyes and focused them in the direction of where the Voice had last come from, but he had a feeling that presence was everywhere all at once, though that seemed impossible. In any event he said, "I'm happy for them and for me, too, if I can forgive them fully and they can find peace, but you still haven't answered my question. Why did you wait so long to send Seth to help me?"

"Ah, Edward Anthony, you do have a way of getting to the heart of the matter, don't you?" the Voice rumbled. "Stop to think for a moment how much different your life might have been if Seth had intervened in some form or fashion, let's say before Liam and Maggie died, or perhaps once you'd gone to Chicago with Carlisle and Esme, or even after William died. What if there was no Isabella, Edward Anthony?"

The thought of no Isabella immediately filled him with an emptiness so all-encompassing, he literally felt like his entire being had just disintegrated into nothingness.

Warmth and infinite love and tenderness surrounded him and he was once again back in the present...or wherever he was.

"Watching you and Isabella love each other has given me so much pleasure. You have always had a tremendous capacity to love, Edward, you were just too afraid to show it. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, Sophie...even William in his own way, all love you, but not like she does, like only she can. She truly is your greatest gift, but never forget, my son, that you are hers as well. You ask why things happened the way they did. That is why. You had to wait for her. Your suffering wasn't easy to bear, but your reward was worth it, wouldn't you say?"

"She was worth everything," Edward breathed out and once again felt an almost intoxicating blend of love and happiness flow in, through, and around him.

"I'm so very happy to hear you say that, because you, Edward Anthony Cullen, have a decision to make," the Voice said in a tone that was a mixture of giddiness and relief.

Edward, as he was accustomed to doing, shrewdly looked toward the direction the Voice was coming from and replied, "What kind of decision? You know the last time something like this came up, I wound up with my very own personal pain in the ass popping in and out at the most inopportune times."

A loud crack of rumbling thunder filled the air and all around shook like he was standing in the middle of a powerful earthquake. "Oh, Edward, I do enjoy you so," came the warm, indulgent Voice.

Perplexed, Edward said again, "What kind of decision are we talking here?"

He heard the same sigh as before, but this time, if it was possible, it was tinged with even more relief than before.

"You were not supposed to die this soon."

Immediately Edward responded, "But I thought..."

"As I've told you, Edward Anthony, I do not interfere with free will. You saw Isabella in danger and without any thought of your own safety, you sacrificed yourself so that she would be saved. That was not what my plan has been for you."

Shrugging, Edward said, "Of course I saved her. I was going to die soon anyway."

"No, Edward...you were not," the Voice said and let out the loudest sigh yet.

"But Seth told me..." Edward sputtered.

A flash of red, yellow, and orange light pulsated around him, mimicking laughter and then the Voice said, a bit sheepishly Edward noted, "Would you believe he was in such a hurry to finally make his presence known to you that he misunderstood what he was supposed to do? My intention was for him to merely give you a wake-up call, so to speak, so that you would understand how imperative it was to fix your mistakes. He was never supposed to tell you that you would die soon. He was only supposed to scare you into wanting to change your life. Our Seth can be a bit...impetuous at times, especially where you are concerned, Edward."

Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the very true statement. "Well, I don't suppose that matters much now does it? Besides, I can't say I'm sorry things worked out the way they did. I have been happier the past few months than I could have ever imagined being."

"Well, my child, it does matter...very much in all matter-of-fact."

"What are you telling me?" Edward questioned, because he would certainly never presume to demand.

Another sigh and more light waves bounced before the Voice replied, "In scenarios such as this, when death comes at a not preferred time, I find myself offering the subject the opportunity to return."

"You mean I can go back if want to?" Edward questioned and then hesitated.

He never would have thought he would second-guess a chance to stay with Isabella, but second-guessing he was. He'd made his peace with death. He'd forgiven his parents - his true parents. He'd mended his relationships with Emmett and Rose, and became the uncle Jack and Emma needed and wanted. He'd re-established his friendship with Sophie, and deepened the bonds of friendship with Jasper, Alec, and Marcus. He and Charlie had gotten closer than he ever would have thought possible and fully appreciated the remarkable and loving women Renée and Nonna were.

And then there was his reason - his Isabella.

Of course he loved her beyond reason and his joy at being able to love her, and know she understood and believed how much he did, was so much so he couldn't find the words to describe it. The thought of being separated from her hurt his heart, but when he realized they would be together again someday, it hurt a bit less. He knew she would go on, would continue to live and grow into an even more amazing woman. She would always love him, he was sure of that, and though he would miss her terribly, he knew she would flourish.

Up here, wherever here was, was so peaceful, he never wanted to leave. He was happy and he knew he could watch from afar as Isabella ran CP and made it even more successful than it already was. He could watch Jack and Emma grow up, delighting when they caused Emmett to want to pull his hair out. He could watch Alec and Alessandra navigate the stages of their relationship, hopefully while she gave Alec a taste of his own medicine, until it culminated in the wedding that everyone knew was a foregone conclusion. He could watch Jasper and Alice as they became parents, because he knew how badly they both wanted that to happen. He could watch it all and wait for them to join him so they could be together again.

"I want...to stay with you," Edward said with a slight hesitation.

"While that delights me more than you can possibly fathom, you still have work to do, my son," the Voice told him.

"How can you say that?" Edward questioned, somewhat testily he would concede. "I've done everything you asked of me. What more can I possibly have to do?"

Again, there was a sigh, this time reminding him of Isabella when she was frustrated with him and he shook his head, wondering if it was possible to piss off the Voice. Somehow, if it were possible, he had no doubt he could do it. "Edward Anthony, I take it before you arrived, you noticed that strapping young man standing behind your lovely Isabella, yes?"

A flicker of recognition flashed in his brain and he nodded and asked, "Who is he?"

"Ah, that, my son, is the baby Isabella is carrying inside of her right now. She doesn't know she's pregnant yet and when she finds out, it will give her great comfort to have a lasting remembrance of you and the love you two shared the last few months of your life," the Voice answered.

At that, Edward clearly remembered the shock of unruly bronze hair, the strong jawline, the bottle-green eyes that were his and Esme's and smiled affectionately. "Good-looking kid, huh?" he said proudly.

An indulgent laugh filled the air and Edward heard, "Most definitely."

Edward thought some more about the boy he'd seen and the way Seth stood protectively around him. As he remembered that, he also remembered the discussion he'd had with the angel...however long ago it had been. He knew, without question, that Isabella and his son would both be surrounded by so much love and support, they would be just fine without him.

"You know, Edward Anthony, that Seth and the others will always take care of her and him, as well as everyone else you left behind. Her pregnancy will be an easy one and you needn't worry about her health or anything like that. It isn't essential that you return," the Voice informed him.

"Well, if that is the case, then I want to stay here...with you," and again he wavered a bit.

"I said it wasn't essential for you to return, Edward, I didn't say it wasn't preferable for you to go back. As much as I love you and will enjoy having you with me, I will enjoy watching you live your life with your son and your wife even more. Who knows, there might even be a daughter or two in your future as well." A delighted laugh filled the air as the Voice continued, "I must say, I very much look forward to watching you navigate the role of fatherhood as well as that of husband to a rather head-strong and feisty Italian."

"That is playing dirty," Edward said as his lips twitched before he smiled.

"Never said I didn't. Though it isn't imperative that you be with them, with you, their lives will be ever so much better. Isabella is a strong woman, but with you by her side, there is nothing she can't do. Your son, well, I won't spoil everything, but he will be a remarkable man and you deserve to enjoy that to the fullest. The rest of your family needs you as well, Edward Anthony. But, like I've said, and I mean this, it is your choice," the Voice said lovingly, seriously.

"I'll be back?" Edward couldn't help but ask.

"As if I could do without you now? Of course we will be together again, Edward Anthony. I love you."

This time it was Edward's turn to sigh, though his wasn't as impressive as the Voice's...or Isabella's. "I love you, too, very much. I'll miss you, but you'll always be with me, right?" Edward asked to make sure.

"Always, Edward Anthony."

"A dad, huh? I can't wait to meet him," Edward said softly and with that, he was hurtling back through time and space again.

"You'd better not change his name," the smug angel said with a gleam in his eye.

Edward was once again wrapped in a divine hug and all of a sudden, he couldn't wait to get back.

"Don't worry, Eddie, your recovery will be quick. And um..." the angel uncharacteristically tripped over his words. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you."

Edward laughed heartily, too excited to see his wife to even try to hide what he was feeling. "Don't worry, big guy, things turned out all right in the end. Although, you do realize I'm never letting you live this down, right? I can't believe you, of all...things made a mistake, and right from the get-go, too. Priceless," Edward chuckled.

"Whatever," the angel grinned. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, too. Not sorry about the outcome just so you know, but things were kind of touch and go there for awhile."

"So I guess I'm stuck with you, huh?" Edward teased.

Seth's white wings flapped as he dipped and twisted in the air. "You know it, Eddie. You and I have lots of work to do, my friend, and I can't wait."

He arrived back at the hospital and floated above his loved ones for a moment, hearing the doctor say, "I can't believe we lost him."

He grinned wickedly at the angel before he felt himself twist and then return back to his body.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

The room was silent...then it wasn't anymore as the machines started beeping wildly again.

"A heartbeat!" the doctor shouted and Isabella felt her body surge with relief.

Unlike when Edward 'left' the room, now it only contained the doctors, nurses, and Isabella, who stood in the corner. She knew she shouldn't be in there, but she couldn't leave him and when the pandemonium started, no one paid any attention to her anyway.

Once Edward's strong, steady heartbeat filled the air, she began to breathe again.

"Mrs. Cullen," the doctor addressed her when he looked up and noticed her in the corner. "We got him back," he said wiping off his forehead. "His heartbeat is strong now and the rest of his vitals look good, too. We'll continue running tests, but he is stable. Now we just need for him to wake up."

Breathing deeply in and out, all she could do was nod her head. On rubbery legs, she slowly walked forward, terrified that the sound indicating his heart was beating would stop again and she was sure if it did, hers would stop right along with it.

The past however many minutes it had been since Edward had been laying in the middle of the street bleeding and broken had been excruciating, but the last five minutes, when Edward's heart stopped, had been the most harrowing minutes of her entire life. She died a bit more inside as each second crept by when she didn't know whether he would live or die.

"You're sure he's going to be okay?" she whispered and reached out to touch him. Her voice shook, as did her hand, but she couldn't not touch him.

"Well, with the head trauma we will need to wait until he wakes up to make a full assessment for any permanent damage, but because the swelling is surprisingly minimal, I feel very confident in saying he should be just fine. You, however need to be looked at. Why don't we get you checked out while we move your husband to a room and by the time you're done, you can join him," he not so much asked, as told.

The thought of being separated from him tore her in two, but her ankle was throbbing and she knew the doctor wouldn't tell her Edward was going to be okay if he wasn't. She nodded her head and took a moment to brush her lips across Edward's, so very thankful to feel that they were warm and whispered, "I love you, Edward," before the orderlies came in to take him away.

She resisted the urge to run after him as the doctor led her from the room to take her to get examined. Of course she had to stop and let everyone know he was going to be okay and after being hugged and kissed over and over again, she accompanied the doctor, along with her father, to the exam room.

She held it together all through the poking and the prodding. She even held it together during the exam and the questions. She, however, did not hold it together when the doctor came back and gave her the news that shocked her to her core. Tears sprung from her eyes and she made the poor man repeat what he had said two times...then a third before she allowed the smile she'd been fighting to spread across her face.

Unconsciously she placed her open hand on her stomach and held it there, a prayer of thanks spilling from her lips before the doctor had even shut the door on his way out so she could get dressed. Her words were reverent, heartfelt, and filled with so much gratitude, both for the life inside of her and for the life down the hall. She couldn't imagine living without either one, nor could she imagine loving either one more. Oh, yes, she was already madly, passionately in love with something the size of a lima bean, so much so she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

"Bella," Charlie said when he poked his head inside the door, because he'd been banished to waiting outside while the doctor was in the room.

She turned around, running a hand through her hair, and faced her father. He stepped into the room and cocked his head to the side as he tried to figure out if she was okay. She looked fine, better than fine actually, but he'd seen people react to traumas in all different ways over the years so he approached her slowly.

"Your mother got you some clean clothes," he told her as he handed her the pile. "I'm sure you have no intention of leaving until Edward does, or at the very least until he tries to make you."

She snorted and didn't disagree with him one bit. He definitely knew her and knew there was no way in hell she was leaving without Edward. Being away from him for the little bit of time she'd just been was bad enough, even if she'd gotten the second best news of her life just moments ago.

"Are you okay, Bambola? I know you probably haven't had time to let everything sink in yet," he said softly as he stepped even closer to her. "I'll never be able to thank Edward enough for saving you." His voice broke and he immediately wrapped her up in a fierce hug, squeezing her almost to the point of pain.

For as long as he lived, he would never, ever forget the frantic phone call he'd received from her when the paramedics had gotten her and Edward into the ambulance to rush them to the hospital. Isabella had been practically incoherent as she tried to tell him what happened. Only about every third word made any sense, but it was enough to cause him to break out into a cold sweat and feel like his stomach had fallen out of his ass.

Taking a deep breath to fight the urge to stay in her father's arms, she pushed back any thought of breaking down. She would, she was sure, but not until she got back to Edward and saw, again, that he was still here. She squeezed him once more before she took a step back.

Focusing only on getting back to him she said, "I'm going to change and then we can head back."

Charlie nodded without saying anything further, and because he couldn't help himself, kissed her once more on the top of her head and left the room. Once in the hallway he leaned his head back against the wall and tightly squeezed his eyes closed, though that did little to stop the tears from leaking out the corners.

"Thank you, God, for bringing him back to us," he whispered on a stuttering breath.

There was no doubt that losing Edward would have devastated their family and none of them would have ever fully recovered. He couldn't allow his mind to even try to think about what would have happened if anything had happened to Bella. It was a thought too bleak and terrible to even comprehend.

Somehow, someway, the Universe had decided it wasn't time for either Bella or Edward to leave and for that, Charlie would say a prayer of thanks every day.

He turned when he heard the click of the door and smiled gently when his daughter stepped out into the hallway. He had no idea how she was still standing, but he really shouldn't have been too surprised. She was the strongest person he knew. There was no doubt the chaos and the shock of the day would catch up with her at some point, it would be impossible for it not to, but he knew for a cold, hard fact that the only thing that would soothe her soul was Edward.

No father ever wanted to be replaced in the eyes of his daughter, but in Charlie's case, he didn't mind so much. A part of him would always mourn the fact that there was another man she needed more than him, but that part had shrunk to a mere blip from where it used to be. The fact that Edward had very nearly lost his own life to save hers pretty much made it nonexistent.

"I need to get back to Edward," she told him when she looked at him.

"I know. Let's go."

A few hours later, Isabella sat at Edward's bedside. She refused to move, not that anyone tried very hard to make her in the first place. The other members of the family took turns checking on her and him, staying only for the few minutes they were allowed. Edward had been moved to the ICU because of the head injury even though his heartbeat and vitals had only grown stronger since he'd been moved.

He looked so pale as she ran her fingers across his face and through his hair and it really took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to throw herself on top of him and hold him close. She'd come so close to losing him and the sickening sound of his body slamming against the street filled her ears until it was an almost deafening roar. The only thing that kept her from completely losing it was the life growing inside of her.

She couldn't wait to tell him, but she didn't dare say it out loud yet. He was unconscious, not in a coma, and all they were doing now was waiting for him to wake up. He had numerous scrapes and bruises all over his body. Where the car hit his hip, miraculously, there were no broken bones, nor anywhere else on his body. It was beyond belief that he'd survived in the first place, but to have such minimal damage from such a horrific accident defied all medical logic. She heard the whispers of course, of the doctors and nurses that said there was no medical reason for his heart to have stopped. They kept up a steady stream of coming and going, but she barely paid attention. She knew full well that divine intervention was the reason he was still alive and nothing anyone else thought or said would be able to convince her otherwise.

"Bella, honey, Emmett is going down to the cafeteria to get some drinks. Do you want him to bring you back anything?" Alec asked when he slipped inside the room.

He watched as she silently shook her head, not even turning around to look at him. She held Edward's hand, their fingers linked together. With the other hand, she kept up a continuous loop as she ran her fingers through his hair, over his face, down his arm, and then over the blanket that covered him so she could meticulously straighten it out, then back up, only to begin the circuit over again. She'd been doing the same thing for hours now, though no one attempted to stop her.

The sight of her keeping a silent vigil by Edward's bedside broke Alec's heart and he had to take many deep breaths and repeat over and over that they were both still here before he could step farther into the room. The hysterical phone call he'd received earlier from Emmett would forever be seared into his memory and he'd never been more afraid in his life. He wasn't a religious man, not at all, but the second he disconnected the phone call, he prayed, begging for their lives. Edward and Bella were his family, his very best friends, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them. Because of them, he had the others, had his other half now in Alessandra, so he felt no qualms in begging the higher power that Bella believed so strongly in to keep them both safe.

He continued moving forward until he stood beside her. He laid his hand on her shoulder and couldn't help but chuckle just a tiny bit when she leaned her head down and briefly rubbed her cheek against it. There was no way she was letting go of Edward's hand or stopping the movement of hers along his body to do anything else.

Bending down, he kissed the top of her head and left his lips pressed against it for a few moments while he squeezed his eyes closed and tried to keep his emotions under control.

Squatting down beside her, he rubbed her arm and waited for her to look at him. "You sure you don't want anything? Coke? Orange juice? Even a bottle of water?" he gently asked again.

"No, Alec, I'm fine. I wouldn't be able to keep anything down anyway, at least not until he opens his eyes and I know he's going to be okay," she told him.

He knew she'd say that, but he had to ask just the same. After a few moments, when he knees began painfully protesting their position, she very quietly asked, "Is everyone still here?"

Reaching behind him, he pulled the other chair forward until it was beside her. The sound of the chair scraping along the floor was almost painfully loud, especially considering it had been so quiet and he cringed and then looked at her. She hadn't moved, not even a flinch, but continued to watch Edward for just the slightest movement or indication he was awake.

Once he'd sat down, he reached over and laid his hand once more on her arm, just because he needed to. He wanted to remind her that she wasn't alone, that there was a waiting room full of people that loved her and Edward both and would do whatever they could to help. Intuitively he knew she understood that, but he still needed to reassure her the only way he knew how.

"Yes," he answered her question from before. "Camille and Alessandra went to Em's house to sit with the kids, though."

He was shocked when she snorted and then turned to look at him. "I can't believe you let her out of your sight, Alec. You two have been inseparable since Thanksgiving," she teased with just the ghost of a smile.

He would take it.

Rolling his eyes at her he said, "I do let her out of my sight every now and then, Bella."

She snickered but didn't look at him. "No more teasing me and Edward. You know that, right?"

"Fair enough," he replied with a small laugh then sobered. "Alessandra just thought that because she had gotten along so well with the kids at Thanksgiving, she could help Camille with them. Besides, she didn't want Camille to be by herself."

"I'm glad Jack and Emma will have someone familiar with them. They'll both be so upset. They need someone around that knows them to make them feel safe," Isabella said quietly and lifted Edward's hand to kiss the back of it.

"Did you hear that, sweetheart? You need to hurry and wake up. Poor Jack, and especially Emma, will be so worried about you," she whispered and picked their hands up so she could brush another kiss across the back of his hand.

That was all it took for the tears that Alec had been desperately trying to keep from falling, to flow freely down his face. How Bella managed to be so strong he couldn't even begin to fathom, but she was, without question, the strongest person he'd ever known in his life...by far. No one else came close.

"Bella...I...are you..." Alec stammered as he tried to come up with something, anything, to say to what he just heard.

"Alec, it's okay. He's going to be fine. I know he is. I just want him to wake up...I miss him, even though it's only been..." She struggled to think how long it had been since they'd gotten to the hospital. "I don't even know how long it has been," she said with a huff of frustration, hating that she had no sense of time. She supposed that was to be expected because all she'd cared about since the moment they arrived was Edward. "I just miss him," she whispered again, breaking Alec's heart a bit more.

"Of course he's going to be okay, honey. He's too damn stubborn to stay asleep for long; everyone knows this," he tried to tease, but he knew it didn't come across that way...and that was okay. Standing, he kissed her once more and said, "I love you, Bella. Love Edward, too. I'll leave you alone now. Keep talking to him, honey, he can hear you. I'm sure of it. He misses you, too. We're all outside if you need us, okay?" he asked rhetorically knowing she knew that, but he also knew that unless things took a drastic turn for the worst, which he couldn't even contemplate THAT happening, she would sit by his side until he woke up.

As soon as she heard the door close behind Alec, she scooted closer and laid her head down on the side of Edward's bed. She was so tired and so stiff and sore and she knew it would take days, at least, to recover from the physical injuries. The emotional ones, well as soon as he woke up, she was sure that though they might linger for a bit, nothing else would matter except the fact that he was okay. She continued to hold his hand in hers, intermittently brushing kisses along the scrapes on the back of his hand.

"I miss you, Edward," she said softly, this time directly to him instead of about him. "I know you'll tell me differently, but I know you getting hurt was all my fault." She began to cry softly, sniffling and wiping her eyes on the blanket because she still wouldn't let go of his hand. "I shouldn't have made you wait for me to look at all the windows. If I would have kept up with you, we would have been across the street already when that damn car came barreling around the corner," she bit out angrily and then felt bad about getting mad at someone that clearly didn't mean to hit Edward on purpose.

She continued to talk about nonsense things: what they still needed to get done for Christmas, the fact that he still hadn't taken her to pick out their tree, what kind of cookies he wanted her to bake and then more serious things, but she still didn't tell him about the baby. She wasn't saying those words out loud until he was awake and she could look in his eyes and tell him he was going to be a father. Nurses came and went. The doctor came in and looked at the chart for a few moments. She watched, anxiously looking for any sign of distress from him, but all she got was an encouraging smile and a pat on the shoulder assuring her things still looked good and it was just a matter of time.

She huffed again and shifted in her seat. Normally she was a very patient person, but right then she felt like she was crawling out of her skin, and before long she'd start pulling on her hair like Edward did, if he didn't hurry and wake up. Didn't he know she was out of her mind with worry and the only thing she needed was to see his eyes and hear his voice?

There was a muted light peeking in through the flimsy curtains that covered the windows and Isabella was vaguely aware that it was now obviously very early morning. She leaned back in her very uncomfortable chair and stretched her legs out in front of her. Getting up and walking around would be the smart thing to do, but besides a few very brief trips to use the bathroom, she hadn't left his side or let go of his hand. She knew it was probably foolish on her part as every nurse that walked in commented how good everything looked considering what he'd been through, but they were just words as far as she was concerned. Feeling his hand in hers was the connection she needed to remind her that he was there with her, just sleeping.

Though, it went without saying that she wished he'd wake the hell up already!

Thinking that she would just put her head down for a second, she bent forward and rested her forehead on the edge of the bed again. She began to hum softly, a tune which she couldn't remember the name of, and reached up so that she could run her fingers through Edward's hair the way she knew he liked. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sound of the machine that beeped a constant rhythm. Outside the door of the room she could hear the bustle of people that moved around, some in a hurry and some not. A mechanical voice over the loudspeaker, calling a doctor to a different part of the hospital. The sound of the nurses entering the rooms beside Edward's with breakfast. She knew her entire family was just outside the door and the thought gave her comfort but she had no desire to see them. Knowing they were there was enough.

All she needed was for Edward to wake up.

"I think you've been asleep long enough, sweetheart," she told him. "It's time for you to wake up now." Standing up she bent over him and brushed her lips across his. She waited, hoping that would spur him to wake up and then flopped down in the chair with a huff when it didn't.

She laid her head down again and closed her eyes. "Edward, come back to me," she whispered.

A short time later, though it could have only been seconds or minutes she felt a hand in her hair and she picked her head up. "Hello, love. It's so nice to see you," he said in a scratchy whisper and cupped her cheek in his hand.

Tears began to fall down her face as she remembered him saying those words all those months ago outside on the deck. Hearing them now was the sweetest sound she'd ever heard and without thinking she flung herself at him and laid her head on his chest.

"Edward, oh God! You're awake!" she said between deep breaths and then shook her head at herself. _Of course he was awake!_ "I love you! I love you!" she cried as she lifted her head and began pressing soft, warm kisses all over his face.

She heard him cough and then immediately she felt bad, thinking she'd hurt him. "Shit," the word slipped out without her even realizing what she'd said. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" she asked him frantically and her hands were everywhere at once trying to make sure she hadn't.

"Isabella, stop," he rasped. "I'm fine...well, I think I am?" he asked her with a confused look on his face.

Lifting herself off his chest, she reached for the call button and told the nurse who answered that Edward was awake, though she never took her eyes off him. He was so pale, but he was awake and she could feel the tightness in her chest ease just a bit. It eased even more when he smiled at her, not quite _her_ smile, but it was pretty damn close all things considering.

"Why do I feel like I've been run over by a car?" he asked and she couldn't help the snort that escaped.

"Um, maybe because you have. Do you remember anything?" she asked as she stepped closer to the bed.

Not being able to help herself, she bent over and kissed him again.

She watched as he squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them slowly. "Bits and pieces, I think. I remember we'd gone shopping and then needed to cross the road. You weren't beside me, so I turned around and then...you fell?" He phrased it like a question. Silently she nodded her head and he went on. "I tried to get to you and I remember thinking I wouldn't get there in time and I...pushed...you out of the way," he finished on a ragged breath. "After that...it's kind of blurry and jumbled, lots of voices...and colors?" he questioned and then shook his head thinking that didn't make any sense at all.

Just when he was about to say something else, the room was full of people as nurses and the doctor rushed in. She stepped out just long enough to let everyone know he was awake, taking time to hug and kiss them all. After promising them they could see him as soon as the doctor said it was okay, she hurried back into the room just in time to hear the doctor tell him that his preliminary assessment was that no permanent damage had been suffered though they would need to run a few tests to be sure. He told Edward how lucky he was to be alive and hearing those words again started the tears once more.

Edward must have heard her crying because he immediately held his hand out to her and pulled her close to his side once he had her hand in his.

"Shh, Beautiful, I'm here. I'm okay," he told her as she continued to cry beside him.

Once the doctor finished with him and the nurses informed them that he'd be moved to a private room as soon as possible, they were alone again.

"I was so scared, Edward," she told him when he pulled her beside him on the bed.

She could tell he wanted her to lay down beside him, but she knew he was too battered and bruised for that.

He winced when he lifted his arm but he ran his hand down the side of her cheek. "I was, too, love. I was scared I wouldn't get to you in time."

For long moments they just looked at each other, each needing to reaffirm that the other was really there. She watched his face intently as it morphed from emotion to emotion and then when she saw his eyes get glassy she wrapped her arms around him gently.

"I love you so fucking much," he choked out as he squeezed her as hard as he could. His voice shook with an emotion she couldn't name so she squeezed him tighter.

Once his breathing was back under control she sat back but still didn't let go of his hand. For a brief second, she wondered how it would feel to NOT hold his hand constantly and decided she didn't really want to think about that.

They whispered back and forth for a few minutes while she told him over and over again that she was okay. A little sore and a lot tired, but other than that, she was fine.

"You're sure?" he asked for the tenth time in less than a minute. "The doctor checked you out and everything?"

"Yes, sweetheart," she said and then gave him a knowing smile. "He did tell me some news though; something that was quite a surprise," she trailed off and watched his eyes narrow at her.

"What, Isabella? What did he tell you? You just got done telling me you were fine! What's going on?" he demanded getting more agitated by the second.

She leaned forward and pressed her fingers to his lips so that he would stop talking long enough for her to get anything out. She kissed him over her fingers and then moved her lips to beside his ear. "I'm pregnant."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**The first sentence of this chapter has been written exactly that way for over 6 months now. This chapter has ALWAYS been my plan and Edward was ALWAYS going to return to Isabella. For all of you that have stuck through every chapter, every time Seth reminded Edward of how little time he had left, and for every time you wanted to yell at me for possibly letting Edward die, I hope I've given you the HEA you wanted.**

**TGG isn't over yet, there is still one more chapter and an Epilogue left to go and a few loose ends left to tie up. I hope the next chapter answers the few remaining questions I'm sure lots of you have.**

**Laurel posted a very special picture for me on the blog today, I'll think of it as an early Birthday present, but I hope you enjoy it as much as me! There is something that just makes me smile to see my Edward and Isabella in a picture together! Thank you, Dame...I love you more than there are words to say!**

**www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com  
**

**Don't forget I've posted the Alec/Alessandra first date as an outtake and not as a Bonus Scene because, well, apparently I love Alec way too much and I couldn't stop writing so it turned out to be too long to make a BS. Please check it out, I have a feeling we might see more of those two sometime later!**

**The bonus scene for this chapter...and the last one of the story, is going to be the conversation between the Voice and Gideon when they discuss our Seth's little...or big depending on how you look at it...faux pas. I'm not even going to tell you, you have to review to get it because I'm posting all the Bonus Scenes next weekend with the last chapter. If you didn't receive a review reply this week, I'm sorry. Ffn is still fail with allowing us to reply from email, so PM is the only way I can do it. If you didn't get one, it's most likely because you have disabled your PM's.**

**Thanks for all the support, reviews, PM's, emails, Tweets, Retweets...and on and on. You guys are the best and I love each of you madly. Each and every one of you that has put your trust and faith in me from the beginning mean more to me than you can ever possibly know.**

**See you next Sunday...Review and let me know what you thought of this chapter, okay? Either because it's my Birthday tomorrow, or because you're so happy Edward isn't dying anytime soon, or because you're so happy Isabella is pregnant, I want and need to hear from you guys about this one...please?**


	30. Chapter 30

****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.** **

****This is it everyone, the last regular chapter of The Greatest Gift...just the Epilogue left. To each and every one of you that has read, reviewed, put this story on alert or marked as your favorite, Tweeted my updates, sent me an email or PM...THANK YOU! This has been the most rewarding experience and it has been...because of each of you.** **

****Please read the A/N at the bottom!** **

****Now...on with the story!** **

****~*~Oh, I've been told to add a tissue warning...so you've been warned!~*~** **

****~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~** **

**Chapter 30**

"You still don't like flying, do you?" Edward teased as the plane began to pick up speed as it taxied down the runway.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" she snapped back at him and rolled her eyes when he glanced down at their entwined fingers. Of course his were white because she was gripping them so tightly.

She huffed and then said softly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you."

The plane lurched as the nose lifted and she sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Poor Edward had long since lost any feeling in his hand but he leaned over and whispered, "I've got you, love. It will be okay."

She nodded but didn't say anything.

He tried not to laugh at her, he really did, but when she heard him chuckle, she opened one eye and tried to glare at him. Of course that just made Edward laugh even harder because really, she still couldn't give anyone a dirty look to save her life.

Especially him.

Once the plane was high in the sky and leveled out, she let out a deep breath.

"You know, Beautiful, it's probably not good for the baby for you to hold your breath like that," he chided and then kissed the back of her hand...now that he had feeling back in his own.

Immediately her other hand found its way to her stomach and she rubbed it. Not that you could tell she was pregnant, at all.

It was mid-February and Isabella had surprised Edward with a trip to Ireland for Valentine's Day. He had fully recovered from the accident before Christmas, her pregnancy was going well, and it was a perfect time for them to go. Besides, she'd finally found something to do for him that was totally a surprise and unexpected and she couldn't have been any happier about that. She even had one more secret that she would spring on him when they got to Dublin, and she hoped it went over as well as she thought it would.

Things had gotten back to normal relatively quickly after the near-death experience from before Christmas. There were nights Isabella still woke up in a cold sweat and clinging to Edward but they were getting fewer and farther between. She spent a good deal of time talking to Nonna about everything she'd felt while Edward was technically dead, to Father O'Connor as well, and it helped immensely in being able to come to terms with what happened.

She was pretty sure she would never forget what it felt like when the monitor made that long beeping sound that indicated his heart had stopped, but she also knew she would forever remember what it felt like when she heard it start again. That span of five minutes when the doctors and nurses breathed for him and kept trying to get his heart to beat again were the worst of her life, but in a way they were also the best because he came back. In the end, that was all that mattered. Medical brilliance, a miracle, whatever it was that brought him back to her, it made no difference as long as they were together and she knew, now, it would always be that way.

"Hey, what's with the frown?" he asked as he reached for her chin and turned her toward him.

She sighed and rubbed her stomach again. "I have to go to the bathroom for the tenth time since I woke up this morning," she grumbled.

He helped her get the seat belt off and he pulled her down on his lap when she walked past him. Kissing the side of her neck he whispered, "I know you get frustrated, Isabella. It's just one of the side effects of being pregnant."

_One of the definite perks of owning your plane_ , he thought, as he continued to nuzzle the side of her neck and then ran a hand over his favorite effect of her being pregnant. Her breasts had always turned him on, but as the subtle changes her body had undergone became more noticeable, he found that he couldn't keep his hands off them or her either, for that matter.

Forgetting all about needing to use the bathroom, she relaxed against him. She also was aware of how nice it was to fly when you were the only two people on the plane. The flight attendant was behind the curtain so they were truly alone and never one to pass up an opportunity like that, she reached for his face and pulled it closer.

"I love being pregnant," she whispered right before she showed him how much.

Letting her tongue go where it willed, she licked across his bottom lip, then his top. Because it was so early in the morning and they hadn't eaten yet, knowing they would eat on the plane, he still tasted minty from his toothpaste. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and spent a long time nibbling on it. Her fingers found their way into his hair. His fingers were still playing with her much fuller and much more sensitive breasts. When his thumbs grazed her nipples she did her usual half squeak half whimper thing that never, ever failed to get his blood racing or turn him the fuck on.

"I love you being pregnant," he rasped back when she moved from his lips to the side of his jaw.

And Lord help him, he did.

He knew it was too soon to feel it, but every night he would lay beside her stomach and talk softly to the life growing inside. They'd been to the doctor and he knew she was in excellent health, as was the baby. Knowing the sex of the baby already was killing him, especially when they started talking about names and redoing her old bedroom into the nursery, but he held his tongue. That didn't mean he couldn't tease about guessing it was a boy, and he did that with an almost annoying frequency...ask anyone. He also thought Isabella was the most beautiful pregnant woman that had ever walked the earth; just ask anyone that, too.

"You're the most beautiful mom-to-be ever. You know that, right?" he asked her as he brushed his lips across hers once more.

She snorted and rolled her eyes at him, but then giggled. "Yes, Edward, so you've told me. Now, unless you want me to show you how un-beautiful I can be, let me up so I can go to the bathroom."

He got up and moved around once she closed the door behind her and he asked the attendant to bring them their breakfast now that they had reached cruising altitude. One of the cutest things, well he thought so at any rate, was that she was hungry. All the time. One of the things she craved, or as she liked to put it, her favorite thing to eat, was fresh pineapple. He couldn't believe how much pineapple she ate and poor Charlotte was doing all she could to keep the house well-stocked considering Isabella ate it as fast as Charlotte bought it.

Once they'd finished eating and Isabella had her fill of fresh pineapple cubes, she promptly settled into the large, comfortable chair and fell fast asleep. That was another side effect of being pregnant and was probably the one that was causing her the most annoyance. She was used to being busy, and to have to take it a bit easier and her need for more sleep was an adjustment she had to make.

He stood next to her as she slept and tucked the blanket around her before he sat down at the small table and pulled out some reports he needed to go over.

"She seems to be handling pregnancy well," Seth said when he suddenly appeared in the chair opposite him.

"That really shouldn't come as a surprise to you," Edward replied, not looking up from the paper he was reading. "Considering we've both seen what he'll look like, not to mention the fact that I've been assured her pregnancy will be an easy one," he said, smirking when he finally looked up.

Seth snorted but didn't comment. What response could he possibly have to that?

When Edward had first woken up in the hospital, Seth kept a very...VERY...close eye on his charge. It wasn't as if he had to worry about 'saving' him or anything, after all, that was no longer necessary, but after everything Edward had been through, it was safe to say he assumed there would more than likely be a few moments of struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened. He was only human after all.

At first, Edward hadn't remembered 'dying' or what had happened to him, but the moment Isabella whispered the words, "I'm pregnant' everything had come back to him in a rush. He remembered it all, right down to the smell of chocolate chip cookies. It was a bit of a struggle to keep himself under control and not lose it once he had a moment to let everything sink in, but the reality that he would get to stay with Isabella, watch their baby grow inside of her, and continue to live and love and be happy was enough to bring tears to his eyes. It was what he needed to focus on and focus he did.

"We're going to have a baby?" he had asked, playing his part well, though the smile that lit up his face was as genuine as was his happiness at hearing the words come from her mouth.

Seth continued to worry but surprisingly, Edward hadn't had too much difficulty understanding everything that had happened. Really, after all this time, you would have thought Seth would have known better, but Edward still continued to surprise him all the damn time; a fact of which continued to delight Edward to no end and continued to annoy the angel just as much.

Edward might have done all that was asked of him, and then some the angel would grudgingly concede, but that didn't mean that Seth would stop watching over him, or Isabella, or the baby that she carried inside of her. He meant what he'd told him all those months ago and again when Edward returned. They were stuck with each other.

Not that either minded no matter how much they liked to say differently.

"How are you feeling about going back to Ireland after all this time?" the angel casually asked, though he paid very close attention to see if there was the telltale sign of a dip between the eyebrows or a pinch of the bridge of his nose.

There wasn't.

"You know what? At first, when Isabella gave me tickets, I was shocked. I mean, I had been thinking about taking her...before, but I had no idea if there would be enough time. Then when everything happened, I kind of forgot about it to be honest with you. But now that we're on our way there, it's..." Edward stopped and shook his head.

"It's what?"

"I kind of feel like this is it, you know? Like once I get there and do what I need to do, I can just put it all, every bit of anger and frustration and bitterness, behind me and concentrate only on going forward. I know when Isabella planned on this trip she didn't really have that in mind, but it's what it is. I want to show her where I came from, but Ireland isn't home...Chicago is," Edward said quietly.

He'd turned in his chair and looked out the window and at the clouds that floated by the plane as they sped through the sky. It sort of reminded him of where he went when he 'died' and he was sure the annoying angel person was well aware of that fact, too, so he kept the observation to himself. They'd talked plenty once he'd gotten home from the hospital. It had to wait until he was at home because Isabella had never left his side, even after he'd repeatedly tried to get her to leave and get some sleep at the penthouse or at the very least a shower, but she'd adamantly refused. He'd been worried that watching him 'die' would have a lasting effect on her, but for the most part it hadn't. It would have been foolish to assume she wouldn't have a few lingering fears and the fact that she woke up sometimes clinging to him and crying his name alerted him to the fact that she'd had them; he supposed she always would.

He knew if the situations had been reversed he'd have driven himself crazy with all the 'what ifs' his mind could and would conjure up. She was so much stronger than he was anyway. There was no doubting that! And, there was no way he was asking Seth for his opinion either. It seemed, and he wasn't sure how it was possible, that Seth had fallen even more under Isabella's spell since she'd gotten pregnant.

"Well, the time you spent in Ireland will always be a part of who you are, Edward Anthony, but yes, Chicago is where your home is...where your heart is. It will be nice to show her where you came from. Even if Isabella isn't fully aware of why you want to go, I'm sure she has an idea," Seth commented.

Edward turned back around and faced him, nodding. "I'm sure she does, too. You know we've talked about Liam and Maggie. I even told her what I told Carlisle on Thanksgiving. I just want to enjoy our time in Ireland. It's been so long since I've been back."

Seth sighed and the plane shook and Edward didn't even flinch. He'd gotten so used to the angel's presence that when things like that happened, they no longer fazed him in the least. "You're not that Edward anymore," he reminded him quietly, well, as quietly as he was capable of.

"I know that," Edward replied back and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm not worried about ghosts coming back to haunt me either or anything like that, so don't start lecturing me," he warned with a stern look. "I want to show her all the things I loved about Ireland, even though it's not what I consider home anymore. I want to show her where I grew up and tell her all the things I remember and I want to find out what happened to Liam."

He was adamant about it, too.

Seth was a bit worried about what it would do to Edward to find the answers to the questions he had, but there was no telling him that some things were better left in the past. Also, for as hard as Edward had fought to face his past, Seth knew he deserved them as well. He might not like everything he learned, in fact it was assured he wouldn't, but Seth would be with him, just like always, if Edward needed him.

"Well, whatever you decide to do and whatever you find out, you know I'll be there if you need me, but until then, enjoy the rest of your flight with the lovely Isabella. Oh," the angel said in a most mischievous tone of voice, one that was matched by the impish twinkle in his eye, "don't worry about the flight; I've got you covered. One of the perks of having your very own personal guardian angel you know."

With that, Edward was alone once more and he muttered, "Damn show off, pain in the ass angel."

However, they did arrive in Dublin safely and with minimal turbulence. It was the smoothest landing Edward had ever felt.

"We made it safe and sound at least," Isabella said when she took a deep breath once the plane was finally on the ground.

"Of course we did, Beautiful," Edward chuckled at her.

She scoffed at him but then smiled. He looked so excited to be there and she couldn't help but be as well. The plane came to a stop and they both stood. Edward helped her put her coat on because February in Ireland meant the weather would be iffy...at best. A quick glance out the window let him know that at least, for now, the sun was out. That was liable to change as quickly as the wind, but they knew that going in. Coming from Chicago, neither one was afraid of a little wind or rain anyway, and besides, if it got too cold or too rainy, they could just stay in the suite in front of the fireplace. Neither one would mind that at all.

The car that Isabella arranged to pick them up was waiting and after loading their luggage into the trunk, they were on their way to the Shelbourne. Their trip would be an experience for both of them because Edward hadn't been back to Ireland since he left and she was only too happy to share her first trip there with him. They arrived at the hotel and it was as beautiful and elegant as Isabella had hoped it would be.

Once the bellboy set their bags in the bedroom of the suite, Edward placed an order for lunch because he knew Isabella would be hungry.

He hung up the phone and walked to the bedroom, smiling from the doorway when he found her standing in front of the window. She was turned partially sideways and of course her hands were rubbing small, soothing circles on her barely there baby bump. It never failed to make his heart stutter when he would catch her doing that. Even if she was barely showing, he knew there was a baby, his baby, growing inside of her and he never, ever forgot that.

"What did you want to do today?" he asked quietly as he approached her.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, covering her hands with his own. He used his thumbs to take over the circle making, though he wanted to touch skin and not the soft sweater she wore on the plane, so he slid his hands down and then under her sweater.

"Hmmm, you're so soft and warm," he whispered in her ear once he was skin on skin. "Are you feeling okay after the long flight?" he asked and then kissed his way down the side of her neck.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Did I hear you order room service?" she asked and playfully growled at him when he snorted in her ear indicating that of course he ordered food.

His mouth didn't stop moving along the skin of her neck or behind her ear, especially when she'd tipped her head to the side to give him better access. His hands didn't stop either though they'd moved from her stomach to her breasts; a fact which she didn't seem to mind judging from the soft smile on her face and the way she pressed back against him.

"I say we stay here all day and make good use of the very large and very comfortable-looking bed, Beautiful," he said in a smooth, raspy voice.

Isabella couldn't speak because between his thumbs brushing over her now very hard nipples and his mouth that was doing wickedly delicious things to her neck, she could barely form a coherent thought. After a few more moments of pleasurable torture, she sighed and it wasn't the _let's move this to the bed_ kind of sigh either, so reluctantly he pulled back after giving her one more quick, wet, open-mouthed kiss to her neck.

"Well, as you shot my plan all to hell, what did you have in mind?" he teased when he turned her around.

She rolled her eyes but resisted his adorable pout, though his offer was mighty tempting she had to admit. Shrugging her shoulder she said, "Well, considering the sun is shining, we should take advantage of that and start working on our list."

He chuckled at the fact that, yes, they did have a list, a rather long one actually, of the things they wanted to see and do while they were in Ireland. With one last forlorn look at the bed he turned back to her and smiled. "You got it, love. We can always save the bed for a rainy day. Lord knows it rains enough here to put it to good use," he laughed with a waggle of his eyebrows.

After they'd showered, separately much to Edward's regret, and eaten they headed out into the bright sunlight.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

The afternoon of their fifth day in Ireland found them standing in front of a rather imposing-looking two-story stone building. Edward shuddered slightly as he stared at the front door and closed his eyes.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready," Isabella reminded him softly as she stood beside him with his hand firmly gripped by hers.

He squeezed her hand without looking at her, not taking his eyes off the door. "I'm ready. It's just hard to think about the last time I was here is all."

He hadn't seen the building in more than twenty years but he never forgot it. Not the way it looked. Not the way it felt like when he was inside it the first time. Not even the way the air smelled like burnt coffee and old paper. The first time he was at the police station all those years ago was because both his parents were dead. This time he hoped to find the reasons why.

For the past few months, even before his accident in December, he'd had Jasper making some discreet inquiries into the investigation of Liam's death. Once Jasper had time to digest everything Edward had told him about Liam and Maggie, he'd approached Edward and offered to try to find him information about Liam and what he'd possibly been involved in, if he wanted it, which after some thought, he realized he did. Desperately. Jasper had discussed a few things with Charlie as well, thinking that there would at least be some sort of professional courtesy amongst police officers, even if one was from America and the other from Ireland, that might make it easier to get the information. Of course looking into Liam's death got lost in the shuffle of Thanksgiving, the accident, then his recovery and Christmas so there hadn't been much time for Charlie to find out much of anything.

Now, here he was, standing in front of the same building he'd been in so long ago. After lifting their joined hands to his lips and brushing a kiss along her knuckles, he walked through the front door with her by his side.

A young man, one that looked fresh from police training, sat at the front desk and looked up when they approached. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

Edward swallowed once and then straightened his shoulders. He had no idea where to start but he wasn't leaving without answers.

"My name is Edward Cullen and I'd like to speak with someone about a case," he said confidently, giving no indication of the fact his stomach was churning and his legs felt like they could give way at any moment.

"Is it about an active case? Do you have anyone in particular you're supposed to talk to?" the rookie asked in as professional a voice as he could muster while gazing at a rather intimidating-looking Edward.

Isabella, knowing full well the effect her husband had on people, stepped forward just a bit and smiled, totally disarming the young man. "We're not sure who we need to speak with, to be honest with you," she started. "My father is the Chief of Police in Wheaton, Illinois and he suggested we speak with someone from the cold case division?" she half asked, half stated.

"Ma'am?" he asked looking totally confused.

"Well, our question is about a very old case, from twenty years ago," Isabella stated and wondered if they would have any luck at all getting the information Edward wanted so badly.

Finally, the young officer comprehended what they were asking and began nodding his head. He turned toward his computer and asked, "What was the name of the individual involved in the case?"

"Connolly...Liam Connolly," Edward answered.

"Excuse me," came a masculine voice behind them. "Did I just hear you say Liam Connolly?"

Edward turned around and was face to face with what had to be the stereotypical Irishman. Pale skin, freckles across the bridge of his nose, bright red hair and eyes even greener than his own.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Edward asked immediately getting defensive.

He was nervous as all get out and being stared at by eyes that looked eerily similar to his own was already freaking him the hell out.

"No, not a problem," the man said in a distinctly Irish brogue. "Can you tell me why you are interested in talking with someone about a case that is more than twenty years old?"

Edward regarded the man with a level gaze and replied, "If you can tell me why you care."

The man looked from Edward to Isabella and then inclined his head indicating he wanted them to follow him. They walked through a maze of desks and found themselves in front of a door. Edward paled immediately when he noticed the nameplate on the door. "No fucking way," he said with a shaky voice.

"Edward, sweetheart, what is it?" Isabella asked nervously, knowing immediately that something was wrong.

"Shane Kilpatrick?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Holy shit it _is_ you," Shane breathed out and then opened the door so they could have some privacy. "Edward Connolly, I can't believe it. When I saw that hair I thought you looked familiar and then when you said your...that name," he quickly amended once he noticed the icy glare Edward gave him at the almost mention of the word 'father.' "I knew it had to be you."

Both men stared at each other until Isabella broke the spell by asking, "Edward, you know this man?"

It was kind of obvious they knew each other but she couldn't help but ask the question. He was still unabashedly staring at Shane, who returned the stare exactly the same way.

"We went to school together, Beautiful. I knew him before...when I lived here," Edward whispered and then had to sit down because his legs totally gave out underneath him.

A flood of memories assaulted him, flashing and flickering. Image after image burst behind his eyelids like fireworks exploding in the sky on the Fourth of July. Him in the second grade, getting picked last in gym class for kick ball. Then in fifth grade when he wanted to play baseball but didn't know how. Eating lunch by himself during middle school. A flash of red in his mind and he could picture helping Molly McNamara off the ground like it was yesterday.

Isabella knelt down in front of him and watched, nervously, as he took a few deep breaths with his eyes closed. "Edward, are you okay?" she asked as she put his hands between hers.

He exhaled on a long breath and then looked deep into her eyes finding the endless love and support he knew he'd find. "Yeah," he whispered, not paying attention to anything other than her. "Just got overwhelmed there for a second. I'm okay," he told her and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

"Edward Connolly, I can't believe it," Shane said, louder than he intended to.

"It's Cullen, not Connolly," Edward answered with heat, but then took a deep breath. "I was adopted by my aunt and uncle before I left here. I haven't been Edward Connolly for more than twenty years."

Shane held up his hands and sincerely said, "I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't know. There were stories, of course, once you left, but we were just kids back then," he trailed off. He didn't want to offend him anymore than he already had.

"Sorry," Edward responded. "It's still kind of raw."

"I understand. Now, tell me what I can do for you, Edward. I'd like to help you if I can," Shane told him honestly.

Edward sighed and shifted in his chair, pulling Isabella's hand onto his lap. He opened and shut his mouth a few times not knowing where to start or how much to say. After thinking that he didn't want to come all this way and not get the answers he wanted, he decided to be completely honest. "Isabella and I are expecting a baby," he began, taking a moment to look at her with a warm smile, "and when the baby is born, it's going to be the beginning of a new phase for us. I want to begin it without the ghosts of my birth parents and what happened to them and to me hanging over our heads. It's taken me more than twenty years to get to this point, but I'm ready to find out what really happened to Liam, if I can, and lay them both to rest."

"First of all, congratulations on the baby," Shane said genuinely. "There is nothing better than being a father." He glanced at a picture on his desk.

Edward only gave it a passing look before he nodded his head and said, "Thank you. We're really excited about it."

"Mrs. Cullen," Shane started formally and was interrupted when Isabella said, "Bella, please."

Smiling Shane nodded and then asked, "Bella, I heard you tell Officer O'Neil that your father is a police officer as well?"

"Yes. He's the Chief of Police in Wheaton, Illinois. I know Edward and our friend, Jasper Whitlock, as well as my dad, have been able to gather a bit of information about Edward's birth father but we've quite honestly been left with more questions than answers," she told him.

"Charlie, my father-in-law," Edward said leaning forward, "has been able to get a copy of the autopsy report as well as the police report and some notes from the case file, but like Isabella said, it was really not much to go on."

Shane snickered a bit and then opened a drawer beside him. "Chief Swan is something else," he began and then smiled when both Edward and Isabella looked at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "It really is a small world sometimes," he said almost to himself and pulled out a large folder with the name Liam Connolly written across the front. "I've spoken to Chief Swan a couple of times over the past few months, but he never mentioned you by name, Edward, only saying he was looking for some information for a friend. I imagine he was trying to protect your identity until you decided what you wanted to do with the information. I actually had some more reports and notes to send him, but I haven't heard from him since before Christmas?" he questioned.

"I, ah, was involved in a rather serious accident," Edward stated and then winked at Isabella when she snorted loudly at his understatement, "right before Christmas. Then with my recovery, the holidays, and finding out Isabella was pregnant, it has been kind of a whirlwind for the past few months as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Well that makes sense then...and I'm glad to see you've recovered?" At Edward's nod he kept going. "Like I said, I had some more information to send to Chief Swan but as you're here, how about I go over it with you?" He waited until Edward and Isabella both indicated for him to go on. "I happen to be in charge of what you called the cold case division, Bella, as was my father before me, so I was even able to get his old notes from Liam's...murder," he said carefully.

"Son of a bitch," Edward hissed under his breath and felt Isabella squeeze his hand. "He really was murdered then?" he asked again, though he had always known that was probably what had happened to Liam, but hearing it now, definitively, was still hard to hear.

"He was," Shane answered simply. "Why don't you take a few moments to read through this file and I'll go find you two some bottled water and then I'll answer any questions you have. I'll leave you alone and be back in just a bit," he told them before he stood up and left the room.

Gingerly and with a shaking hand, Edward reached for the folder and set it on his lap. Isabella scooted her chair as close to his as she could possibly get it and let go of his hand so she could wrap her arm around his shoulder.

Kissing his cheek she said, "I'm right here, Edward. You can do this. Let's find out what happened to him and then you can put this all behind you."

He exhaled deeply and leaned into her, drawing on all her strength. "I love you so fucking much, Beautiful. I couldn't do this without you," he told her as he stared at his birth father's name on the folder.

"You could, but you don't have to. I love you, Edward. Together, okay?" she asked and waited for him to look at her before she reached across and opened the folder.

Together, they sat huddled close and read page after page of reports, notes, and interviews. There were pictures, some too graphic to spend much time looking at, as well. Every now and then Edward would mutter "fuck" or "oh, God" under his breath and Isabella had to fight to keep her stomach from twisting and her breathing under control.

Liam Connolly was definitely murdered, having been stabbed multiple times in the stomach and bled out before help was even summoned by a passerby on the street. It also was believed to have been a hit by a crime syndicate. Apparently the import/export business he owned and operated would be a perfect cover for them for money laundering and weapons especially, so the syndicate began to wine and dine him and Maggie shortly after Edward was born. They took them out to expensive dinners, the most exclusive clubs in Ireland, and exposed them to a whole different world, one where the money along with everything else, flowed freely. For anyone it would be hard to resist the pull of all that money, but especially so to people as selfish as Liam and Maggie were. They did indeed live that separate life that Edward mentioned to everyone when he first told them all about his family, until Liam had apparently decided he'd had enough and wanted out.

It wasn't clear what prompted him to change his mind. He started refusing to do as he was asked when it came to changing shipping orders so that the illegal goods could be sent without a trace. He'd been warned plenty of times about the ramifications of saying no to the syndicate, but he did it anyway. Toward the end of his life, when Edward remembered the nights his father would pace in front of the windows too afraid to go out, the warnings became more pointed, especially in regard to Maggie. It was hard for Edward to read the account of one low-level individual who knew about the hit comment on the fact that when his family was threatened, as the syndicate often did to try to persuade people to follow along, the only thing he cared about was Maggie. The hit was carried out, obviously, and the last notes Edward and Isabella read indicated that the man that had murdered Liam had been caught a few years after during an investigation into another crime and was killed a few years after that in prison.

"Holy shit," Edward murmured quietly when Isabella closed the folder and slid it from his hands and set it back on the desk.

"Are you okay, Edward?" she asked anxiously and squeezed his shoulder with her hand.

He breathed deeply in and out a few times but he nodded his head. "Yeah, I really am. I mean I have always kind of known that is what happened to him, but to finally read about it and know for sure it's just..." he trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Closure," she told him quietly.

He pulled her onto his lap, not that she didn't go willingly. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck, letting the scent of her surround him and remind him of what was important: the fact that he loved her and their son more than anything else in the world and they were all that mattered. He laid one hand on her stomach, wishing that he could feel the baby move, but it was still just a bit too soon for that. He'd heard the heartbeat and seen the sonogram pictures, and even though he'd already seen the boy he would grow into years from now, feeling him move inside of Isabella would be a tangible reminder of what was most important. Being a good husband, being a good father: the things his birth father most assuredly was not. THAT was what his purpose in life was.

He was done being angry at and mourning for people who didn't really deserve it, lamenting what might have been. He was done with it all. He'd come to get answers and now he had them. His father had been murdered because he'd gotten involved in things he shouldn't have and because of that, his mother couldn't and wouldn't live without him after he was gone.

"I love you," he whispered against the skin of her neck, kissing his way down her jaw and then he turned her head toward his and kissed her.

When she pulled back so she could take a breath, she ran her hands through his hair and kissed his forehead. "I love you, too, Edward. It's done now, you know. I'm so proud of you for facing this and putting it behind you. Only forward now, right?" she asked.

"Only forward," he answered back. "Just the three of us and I can't fucking wait."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, telling him in his ear, "I think it's a lot more than just the three of us, sweetheart. Do you forget who our family is? Jack and Emma have already picked out names."

He chuckled and was about to say something when they heard the door open. "Everything okay?" Shane asked as he stepped inside.

Shane sat back down behind his desk and handed them each a bottle of water and waited while they took a sip. It didn't appear that Isabella had any intention of getting off Edward's lap and he didn't seem to mind that in the least so Shane asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Edward shook his head and looked at him. "Not really. I mean that was all pretty self-explanatory. After all these years there really isn't much left to say anyway. I wanted to know what happened to him and now I do."

"For what it's worth, Edward, I'm really sorry," Shane said a bit nervously.

"Shane, it was a long time ago and I'd pretty much figured that had been what had happened to begin with. I won't lie. It kind of sucks knowing he didn't care enough about me to be the least bit worried about what would happen to me, but it's really not surprising," Edward stated rather matter-of-factly.

Isabella gasped and looked at him and was more than a little bit surprised that his eyes weren't pinched and his face was relaxed and his eyes calm.

He smiled _her_ smile at her and she sighed and relaxed against him, marveling at just how far he had truly come.

Shane answered a few questions and made a few comments before there was a quick knock on the door followed by it opening.

"Shane, love, I brought your dinner," came the sweet voice of what had to be his wife judging from the huge smile he got on his face. "Oh, my, I didn't realize you had people in here," she stammered, sounding embarrassed.

Shane couldn't help but chuckle at her and then looked pointedly at Edward. Ever since he realized who Edward was he'd been trying to figure out how to get this moment to play out and now here it was. _Fate sure did have a way of working things out when you damn sure least expected them_ , he thought for a moment before standing up to greet his wife.

"Ah, sweet girl, tis okay, come in," he said warmly.

Isabella slid off Edward's lap and stood up smiling at the other woman as soon she caught her eye.

"I have someone I think you'll be most happy to see," Shane said and chuckled when he noticed the questioning look on everyone's faces.

Edward stood, trying to be polite while his mind raced to figure out who Shane could possibly want him to meet. When he turned, he almost fell back in his chair again. The curly, red hair was a dead giveaway as was the disarming smile.

"Molly?" Edward asked in disbelief. The two continued to stare at each other and he could tell she was trying to figure out who he was so he said, "It's me...Edward."

Recognition lit up her eyes and she flung herself at him wrapping him in a huge hug. "Edward, oh my God! It's you," she said over and over and then stepped back, embarrassed once again when she heard the laughs of Shane and Isabella. "Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry," she cried apologetically when she glanced at Isabella.

"It's quite all right," Isabella said sweetly knowing full well all about the redhead that Edward had cared so much about all those years ago. "I'm Isabella Cullen. It's so nice to meet you."

"Molly Kilpatrick," Molly answered unnecessarily. "Edward, what in the world are you doing here, and Cullen? Why did you change your name?" she asked as she peppered him with questions.

Shane, knowing his wife, interceded and said, "Mol, he came to ask about his...about Liam."

"Oh," she said softly and then sadly looked at him and nodded her head.

Isabella, if she'd had any reservations about the exuberant woman, certainly didn't after that. In fact, she couldn't help but smile at how much it seemed she still cared for Edward.

"Listen, our kids are with Molly's parents for the night. I can put this in the refrigerator to eat tomorrow," Shane said indicating to the wrapped plate of food Molly had brought with her. "Would you two like to have dinner with us? There's a pub down the street we could go to. I know Molly would love to catch up with you, Edward...and so would I."

Edward looked at Isabella and she immediately nodded her head. "That sounds great," Edward answered.

Edward watched with a much lighter heart as Shane put Liam's file back into the drawer and gave him a nod of acknowledgment when Shane looked at him. Yes, it was time to close that chapter and that case for good.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

"Mom. Dad. How was your flight?" Edward asked the next afternoon when they met the CP jet at the private hangar.

"Just fine, son. How are you enjoying your trip so far?" Carlisle asked as the airport personnel helped put their luggage in the trunk of the car Edward and Isabella took to pick them up.

Isabella had told him that morning over breakfast, after an early morning love making session, that she had asked Carlisle and Esme to meet them for the last two days of their trip. There was one thing left for Edward to do before they left Ireland and it was something that Esme needed every bit as badly as Edward did. The relationship between Edward and his parents had only continued to flourish after Thanksgiving and the first time Edward called Carlisle 'Dad.' Not only did Carlisle become 'Dad', but Esme went from Mother to 'Mom' just as seamlessly.

The angel was not the only one to observe that when Edward decided to do something, he sure didn't do it half-assed.

The relationship only grew after Edward's accident and Isabella couldn't be happier about it. Carlisle and Esme attended Mass with them every weekend, without fail, and Sunday dinner was at their house, too; a dinner that Charlie, Renée, and Nonna made sure to attend as often as possible. It was during one of those dinners that Esme had remarked to Isabella her wish to visit her sister's grave and pay her last respects because she wasn't able to all those years ago and hadn't been in a good enough place until now to be ready to do so. Isabella had then asked her if she and Carlisle would like to spend the last two days of their trip together so that she and Edward could go to the cemetery together.

The tears and the fierce hug Isabella received upon her question were all the proof she needed that she had done the right thing, as were the smiles on all their faces as they stood on the tarmac waiting for the luggage to be loaded into the car.

"How is he, dear?" Esme asked her as she hooked her arm in her daughter-in-law's. "He looks so happy, so I'm guessing things have gone well?"

"Things are great, Esme, and so is he. This trip has been just what we both needed. A chance to get away from everything for a few days before allowing him to find the peace he's fought so hard to get. He's just..." she stopped and watched as Edward threw an arm casually around Carlisle's shoulders as they laughed about something, "perfect."

Esme, being the proud mother she was, didn't disagree...not one bit. "And you, darling, how are you feeling? The traveling hasn't been too hard on you or my granddaughter?" Esme teased.

Edward was always so adamant it was a boy she couldn't help but taunt him with the fact she thought it was a girl. Actually, she didn't have a clue nor did she care in the slightest. The fact that there was going to be another baby in the family was all she cared about, and that it and mother were both healthy.

"Nope, we're great, too," Isabella said as she ran her hands over her stomach.

Esme beamed at her wondering if she'd ever been so happy. Her family was thriving, and it had grown by leaps and bounds thanks to her incredible son and his amazing wife and all the people they loved and brought into the fold, which made Esme love them as well. Sophie, whom she'd always had a soft spot for, Max, and Alessandra just completed the picture.

Once they were settled in the car and on their way to the hotel, they caught up on all the things going on at home and the trip passed quickly. They arrived at the Shelbourne and each party went to their rooms to get cleaned up for dinner, meeting in the lobby a few hours later.

The group decided on Chapter One and once they were seated and everyone had a glass of wine, even Isabella, Carlisle made a toast saying, "To finding peace and the strength to lay the past to rest," and looked at both his son and his wife with much love and support.

"So, Edward," Carlisle said a short time later once they'd been served their dinner, "why don't you tell us what you were able to find out about Liam?"

After taking a sip of his wine and taking Isabella's hand into his, he told them about the folder full of information Shane had let them look through. Esme and Carlisle reacted much like he and Isabella had but he could tell that they also were relieved to finally know everything and be able to move on. When he told them about seeing Molly and who she was, Esme got misty-eyed and reached across the table to hold his other hand.

"I'm so happy you saw her again, and Shane, too. Things sure do have a funny way of working out, don't they?" she asked him and Edward could only nod in agreement.

He had a feeling Seth, the others, and most assuredly the Voice had a hand or two in it all, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The next morning arose and unlike the past few days, it was overcast, cool, and damp.

"Isabella, love, are you going to be warm enough in that?" Edward asked as he sat on the bed and tied his shoes.

"I'll be fine, Edward. It's not that cold out and besides, I plan on being right by your side so I'll have you to keep me warm anyway, won't I?" she asked sweetly and it was exactly the right thing to say judging from the tender smile he gave her back.

He stood and walked to where she was putting her coat on and held it while she slid her arms inside. Turning her around he couldn't help but stop and stare at her, looking deeply into her warm, brown eyes. Lightly he ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek and then his thumb across her bottom lip.

"Thank you for helping me take this last step," he whispered in a voice full of emotion.

She lifted her arms and held his face between her hands. "I will always be by your side, Edward, to help you in whatever way I can, just like you'll help me." Lowering one hand she pushed up the sleeve of his sweater and traced the friendship bracelet on his wrist. "We're best friends, sweetheart. Lovers, husband and wife, and now mom and dad," she told him with tears in her eyes. "We're also Cullens and we stick together no matter what. Being there when you need me, loving you and supporting you is as easy as breathing, my love. It's what I do and what I'll keep doing every day, forever."

"Ah fuck, Isabella," he hissed and then crushed her body to his, kissing her hard and deep, pouring every ounce of love and want and need he had for her into it. "I love you so damn much, la mia ragione," he whispered tracing her pendant with his finger. "I love you, too, little man," he said with a drop dead sweet, sexy, lazy smile at her before he bent down and kissed her stomach reverently.

"Edward, I swear," she huffed at him but couldn't help but laugh at how confident he was that the baby was a boy.

"What? I know I'm right. Watch, you'll see," he told her as he led her toward the door.

"And if it's a girl?" Isabella asked as they stepped on the elevator.

He pushed the button for the lobby before pulling her into his arms. "Then I'll love her every bit as much as I love her mama." With that he kissed her on the tip of her nose right before the doors opened.

The trip to the cemetery was quiet, but not tense. They'd stopped on the way so Esme could buy some flowers, bright yellow daffodils, which were always Maggie's favorite as Esme had told them. The car stopped outside the gate to the cemetery and the group walked the short way to the headstones together. Carlisle stopped them all a short distance from them so that Edward could have a few moments alone first.

"Son, why don't you take a few minutes by yourself and then we'll join you," he told Edward.

He kissed Isabella on the side of the head one time before walking forward on shaky legs. For over twenty years he'd thought about what this moment would feel like and now that it was here, he wasn't sure what to feel about them. What he did feel though was Seth's presence all around him, combined with Isabella's and his mom and dad's. It warmed him and gave him the strength to take the final few steps he needed until he was right in front of them.

The graves were marked with simple headstones that were blank except for their names and the years they were alive. No sayings, no words of remembrance of loving mother and father, his name wasn't even on there as a surviving member of their family, but he found that while he was a bit hurt by that, he was mostly okay with it, too. He wasn't a Connolly. He was a Cullen...he would always be a Cullen.

"I want to tell you both," he began as he stared at the pale gray stones, "that it's taken me a long time, but I'm happy. I don't know if you care about that or not, but I wanted to tell you anyway. I don't hate you for what you did to me either. I did for a long time, but I don't anymore. I'm trying to work on forgiving you and I'll get there, though it will take me some more time." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to keep the tears that threatened from falling. "I'm going to be a dad soon and I can't imagine ever treating my son the way you treated me, and I know I won't. I'm not you," he bit out as he glanced at Liam's grave. In a softer tone of voice he finished. "I hope you both keep working toward your redemption because I'd like to see you both again someday. It's pretty great up there," he said with a smile and could swear he heard the chuckle of the as of now invisible angel, "so I hope you get to enjoy it. Be...at peace," he whispered and held his hand out because he could feel Isabella behind him.

Immediately her hand was inside of his and he pulled her close to his side. Carlisle and Esme stood on his other side and after they said a quiet prayer and Esme had a few moments alone with her sister to say her final goodbye they began to walk back toward the car.

He stopped and looked back at the graves one last time before looking at Isabella and said, "I'm ready. Let's go home, Beautiful."

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**May - Memorial Day Weekend**

"Uncle Edward, are we going to take the boat out soon?" Jack asked as he shook his hair out, flinging water every which way.

"Buddy, you just got out of the pool and now you want to get in the lake?" Edward asked with a chuckle, especially when Jack looked at him like he had two heads. "Fine, yeah, let me find Aunt Bella and tell her we're heading out. Go tell your dad we're going and Grandpa Carlisle and Grandpa Charlie, too."

The family...the whole family...had gathered at Carlisle and Esme's house on Grand Beach for the holiday weekend. Things had moved at a frantic pace ever since Edward and Isabella had returned from Ireland and it was really the first time everyone had had a chance to get together. Not only were they celebrating the first weekend of summer, unofficially, but there was plenty of other good news to celebrate as well.

In a move that was totally cliché and totally unexpected from Marcus, he had finally proposed to Camille on Valentine's Day. He'd whisked her away for a whirlwind trip to Cabo San Lucas and asked her to marry him on the beach in the moonlight beneath the stars. Because they had been together for so long, and Camille knew that Marcus would ask sooner or later, she had most things already planned so the wedding would be taking place in the fall. Edward had been honored to be asked to be the best man and Alice had been asked to be the Matron of Honor.

Alice and Jasper had had their own news to share with everyone as well. Shortly after Valentine's Day they had announced that they were expecting a baby. Everyone was so thrilled for them because they had been married as long as Edward and Isabella and Emmett and Rose, not to mention that Alice had had one miscarriage already. She was past the first trimester when they had made their announcement due to them wanting to wait until it was safe to inform their friends and family. They also wanted to wait until Edward had recovered from his accident and didn't want to steal any of Edward's and Isabella's thunder from their own announcement. Jasper was beside himself he was so excited and on more than a few occasions could be found betting on the gender of his baby with Edward. There was quite the pool already from people taking part in the action. Edward sat back and watched, smirking the whole time knowing that he had the whole thing in the bag...right down to hair and eye color.

He didn't feel the least bit guilty, either.

Alec and Alessandra were completely inseparable and she had moved in with him before they even got to Christmas. They both knew that the other was it so there was no use pretending otherwise. She started staying there every night after Edward's accident and never left, even when Edward had been released to go home. Edward chuckled a bit to himself when he remembered Isabella coming to find him in his office after her usual lunch with Alec sometime in early April. She had been positively giddy and practically bounced off the walls. Of course he thought it was because she was so excited to see him but she shot that theory down in a hurry, much to his chagrin. Instead she had gone on and on about how adorable Alec had been while he hemmed and hawed before outright asking her if she thought it was too soon to be thinking about asking Alessandra to marry him. Edward remembered picking his jaw up off the floor and saying something to the effect of it being fucking time Alec found his own woman instead of wanting his all the damn time...which had earned him an arched eyebrow from his lovely wife. In truth, Edward was ecstatic for his friends, because he considered Alessandra one of his closest friends now.

A few weeks earlier, Emmett had told them during their weekly trip to hit golf balls and then beer that he and Rose were talking about having another baby and Edward was thrilled when he thought about being an uncle for the third time. He even got a little misty-eyed when he thought about the fact that if it happened quickly, both their babies would be close in age and he couldn't help but love the fact that they would grow up together, especially when you added Jasper and Alice's baby in the mix. Emmett and Isabella's project was entering its final stages and Cullen Publishing was flourishing so Emmett and Rose thought it would be a perfect time to concentrate on their family for a bit. Edward couldn't agree more.

Sophie and Max's wedding was approaching and he and Isabella spent as much time with the two of them as they did with the others...sometimes even more. Isabella had enlisted Sophie's help, and Esme's as well, with her literacy campaign for the after school projects and it made Edward stop and wonder how the hell it was that his wife, his long-lost close friend, and his mother all wound up working together, and from everything Isabella told him, absolutely loving it. He also considered Max one of his closest friends and was really happy he seemed to mesh so well with the others.

Charlie, Renée, and Nonna were all fine, as were Carlisle and Esme. The latter on cloud nine at having a house filled to the brim with people. Luckily for them all, Emmett and Rose also had a house there to accommodate everyone.

Which left...him and Isabella.

As he walked through the house that had belonged to his grandfather, Edward couldn't help but think about how sorry he was for him and the fact that he never experienced having the house full of family and loved ones and laughter and love. The next thought he had was were it not for Seth being sent to help him when he had been, even though he'd screwed that up right from the get-go, his life might have been much the same, as distressing as that was to think about.

He continued on through the house heading straight for where he knew she'd be and sure enough, she was curled up with a book on the window seat in the library. Her eyes were closed and the book was laid over her now very prominent baby bump and he couldn't help but stare at her. The sunlight streamed in through the tall window making her hair look almost red as the sun glinted off the highlights. Because it was already warm outside, it was up in a ponytail though a few wayward pieces curled softly around her face. She was wearing a short white and navy sundress and she'd kicked off her flip-flops so she was barefoot. He sighed; he was so glad she could walk around barefoot again. He really, really adored her feet.

"Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to come give me a kiss?" she asked with a smile, though she kept her eyes closed. She stretched much like a cat as it laid in the sun and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Though he thought that at least twenty times a day to be honest.

He grinned at her, even though she couldn't see him, and walked into the room, squatting beside her. Instead of kissing her, which was what he really wanted to do mind you, he lifted the book from her stomach and placed a gentle kiss there first.

"Hi, little man. You're so good letting Mommy take a nap," he whispered and then turned his head and raised his eyebrows at his wife. "What?" he asked, grinning.

"Are you going to kiss me anytime soon?"

"Shh, you just sit there and look gorgeous. Me and the boy are talking," he told her in his most serious voice. "Now, you keep Mommy company while me and your cousin, your crazy uncle, and your two granddads go out on the boat and do manly things like drive really fast and see who can make the biggest splash. I can't wait until you're old enough to come with us. It's going to be so much fun." He chuckled when she snorted at him and though he wasn't looking, he could feel her roll her brown eyes at him. "I'll be back before either of you can miss me."

Her sweet, happy giggle filled the room and he smiled against her stomach when he felt her fingers in his hair. "You guys have fun, but hurry back, okay? I've missed you today," she told him quietly as she ran her finger down his cheek and then across his lips when he turned and looked at her. "Now come kiss me like you'll miss me and go do your fun guy things while me and little man stay at home and wait," she pouted at him.

"Aw, Beautiful, I'll stay with you," he told her kneeling beside her and wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm teasing, Edward. Your mom and I were going to go through a few catalogs with my mom, Nonna, Alice, Rose, and Emma while everyone else went swimming before dinner. Go have fun and you can make it up to me later," she told him before pulling his head toward her so she could kiss him.

Their tongues tangled, twisted, and twirled until they were both gasping for breath. He'd maneuvered her so that she was sitting up and facing him and he'd worked his way between her legs. Sliding his hands up the smooth legs that had been warmed by the sun, he leaned forward and felt his son nudge against his stomach. "You wait your turn, buddy, me and Mommy are saying goodbye," he said out loud before he kissed her again.

He almost hated to leave the two of them but he knew Jack would be devastated if he backed out, so with one final kiss, he stood up, wincing once he was upright. "I'm too old for that shit," he whined as he rubbed his knees.

"Whatever, Edward. If that's the case, maybe you'd best let Emmett drive the boat. You know he's younger than you...faster reflexes and all," she taunted him and grinned wickedly at him.

"I'm telling you, no love," he chuckled. "And you know there is no way in hell I'm letting anyone else drive the boat...not even Charlie." Edward smirked and then bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "I'll be back soon, okay. You rest. I'll even give you a massage tonight. Love you, Beautiful, both of you," he said and then went to go find the others.

Hours later, after a raucous dinner, giving his wife a massage, and sweet, slow loving, Edward slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of shorts because he couldn't sleep.

"Drink that. It'll help," came the voice he expected from the corner.

Edward glanced down from where he stood in front of the window to the table beside him and found a very familiar glass of amber liquid.

"I've missed this stuff. Thanks," Edward said as he lifted the glass and took a sip.

As the taste of the warm, smooth liquid exploded in his mouth and flowed over his tongue and down his throat he closed his eyes and was immediately brought back to the very first time he'd tasted the angelic scotch. So much had changed since that eye-opening plane ride. He shuddered when he thought about the man he used to be while at the same time he cheered the man he had become.

A husband, a father, son, brother, friend...all things that made him...him. Happy. Fulfilled. Loved beyond measure.

"Good day, today, huh?" Seth remarked casually though both knew there wasn't anything casual about his comment.

"The best, but tomorrow will be better. It always is," Edward answered just as casually and then took another sip of his drink.

"Yes, that's true. So, when are you going to tell everyone the boy's name?" Seth asked with a grin and when Edward snorted at him, his blue eyes twinkled more than Edward had ever seen them.

"Who says we've decided on Cameron Seth for his name? You know Isabella. She could change her mind tomorrow," Edward taunted with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

Seth barked out a laugh, one which shook every window in the room and made the floor rumble. "No chance in hell of that happening, Eddie, my boy. None."

"Eh, I suppose you're right, but you never know. If you don't stop ogling my wife from up there when she's traipsing around in her bathing suit, I reserve the right to change it...just so you know," Edward remarked with a raised eyebrow, meeting the ice blue twinkle with a gaze of his own.

"Fair enough, my friend, fair enough. Now, how about I help you sleep? You're too old to keep up with everyone else. You need all the rest you can get," the angel told him with a completely straight face.

Edward really was too tired to argue so he climbed into bed and as soon as he did so, pulled Isabella to him and curled his body around hers, with his hand protectively over her stomach like it always was now. Seth grinned at his two, well now three, favorite humans and waved his hands over their heads. Once Edward and Isabella settled against their pillows he bent down and kissed them each on the forehead, whispering, "Rest well, my young ones. I love you all very much."

"Love you, too," Edward whispered with a smile on his face.

Seth was speechless for a moment and then disappeared, a blinding smile on his face.

"Damn angel," Edward murmured before sleep claimed him.

****~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~** **

**~*~Sigh~*~ That's the end folks! I hope I tied up any loose ends and answered any lingering questions you might have had. I love these two, so much you wouldn't believe...oh, and the angel, too! These characters have lived and breathed in my mind and heart for over 6 months now and I hope I've given them the ending they so rightly deserve.**

**The Epilogue will fast forward a few years and we'll see what's happened to everyone, I'll have a few surprises for you! It will post 2 weeks from now. I will NOT be posting next Sunday- my daughter graduates from high school on Saturday and we'll have family in town. I'll miss you all next Sunday, and I'm sure I'll be twitching without hearing from you guys!**

**If you donated to the Tsunami fundraiser, be sure to check out my outtake! It is on page 2581, and the compilation is HUGE and a lot of hard work was put into getting it all together! I'll be donating a very special outtake for the Fandom4Storms, too. I'll show Isabella's pregnancy and the birth of Cameron Seth. Both outtakes will be posted on Ffn when I'm able to do so.**

**We've already been hard at work getting everything ready for my new story-** _**The Breakers** _ **. It will begin posting 2 weeks after the Epilogue, so look for it mid-June. I'm so excited about this one, and I can't wait to hear what you all think about it. I'll be sending out a sneak peek with the Epilogue reviews but until then:**

_**He is is totally alone in this world and trying to leave behind a past that sent him to prison for seven years.** _

_**She has a past of her own. Heartbroken and aimlessly drifting through life, while raising her daughter as a single-parent.** _

_**In a sleepy, little fishing village, can a beautiful little girl bring these two together so they can both open their hearts and learn to love or will the ocean swallow them whole?** _

**All the Bonus Scenes are going to be posted today so I apologize in advance for flooding your inboxes with alert messages since they'll be posted individually. If you haven't read them all, or if you want to read them again, I hope you'll let me know what you think of them!**

**I'm saving my final thanks to Team Angel until I post the Epilogue, but know, each of you, that I treasure your friendship and the help you've given to me with this story is beyond measure!**

**Thanks to all of you...again...for the amazing support you've shown me and this story. We've been on quite a journey together, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting your faith and trust in me, even when it looked rough! You guys are the best and I love each of you madly!**

**See you in 2 weeks...please let me know what you thought about this one...It's the end, I'm sad and nervous!**

**Hugs and Love,**

**Erin~**


	31. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.**

**This is it everyone, the last chapter of The Greatest Gift! To each and every one of you that has read, reviewed, put this story on alert or marked as your favorite, Tweeted my updates, sent me an email or PM...THANK YOU! This has been the most rewarding experience and it has been...because of each of you.**

**Please read the A/N at the bottom!**

**Now...on with the story!**

**~*~Oh, I've been told to add a tissue warning...so you've been warned!~*~**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**Epilogue**

"Seth, my friend," Gideon chuckled and then had to clear his throat to keep his composure.

It wasn't often that angels were flustered, but Gideon was perilously close to losing it, and getting closer by the second.

Coughing once more, he tried again. "Seth, what in the world are you doing?"

For the past few days, or days in the human sense at any rate, Seth had been, for lack of a better word, on a tear. If he didn't have some inkling of what was bothering his young charge, Gideon might have been tempted to be worried, but seeing as he knew Seth better than anyone, he had a fairly good idea of the problem.

"None of these prospects are good enough," Seth told him without even turning in his direction.

"Seth," Gideon admonished though he couldn't help but laugh just a bit, too.

Yep, it was just as he thought.

He wasn't one of the head angels for nothing.

"What?" Seth questioned with a perfectly straight face. "You've seen them! Whoever gets this assignment has to be perfect...nothing else will do!"

"Aren't you being a tad bit...premature" Gideon asked carefully.

Seth having a meltdown was not something he wanted to see...no, sir.

When Seth turned and finally looked at him, his ice blue eyes were as troubled as Gideon had ever seen them and considering who his current charge was, that was saying something. A whole lot of something.

Gideon floated to where Seth was furiously going through the list of new angels as he tried to pick out the perfect one. "Seth, come now," he said in a soft but steady tone of voice. The pages of The Book ruffled due to the deep sigh that followed. "You've already seen that the twins' birth is completely successful. Isabella has had an easy a time with this pregnancy as she had with your namesake's. If anything, you should be sharpening your skills...Edward is going to need them before all is said and done. Poor man has worked himself into quite the tizzy over the prospect of having daughters."

This time Seth's ice blue eyes twinkled gleefully. "Isn't that the truth? Twins?" he chuckled loudly. "Serves him right for all the trouble he's caused me."

Gideon could only roll his eyes at that statement. As far as he was concerned, it was a complete toss up as to who drove the other crazier at any given point in time.

Seth had been quite busy as of late; especially since little Cameron Seth made his appearance to the world a little more than three years ago. He had other assignments of course, mostly because Edward just didn't need him as much as he used to, but Gideon and the others were all well aware of the fact that Edward had never been _just_ an assignment to Seth and no one expected him to treat him as such. That went double when Isabella was added to the mix not to mention once little Cameron came along.

But, Seth was an angel and he had a job to do, so Edward, Isabella, and Cameron couldn't be his only responsibility. When Isabella became pregnant with the twins, Gideon had wasted no time in telling Seth that part of his duties would be to pick out the angel that would watch over the little girls...Ava and Chloe if what he'd seen of the future held true. Angels could do many things, but even they couldn't be in two places at one time, so it was up to Seth to appoint the little girls' guardian angel.

It went without saying that these weren't just any ordinary little girls either. That was not to say that they were more important than anyone else, because they weren't, but because they were Edward and Isabella's they meant a lot to everyone. Gideon didn't expect any less.

He had a feeling Seth was getting close to making a decision though, and it wouldn't come a moment too soon. Isabella's pregnancy had gone exceptionally well thus far, but there was no telling when biology would trump fate and allow the twins to make their entrance to the world early.

As children of Edward Cullen, there really was no telling which way things would go.

Seth's ice blue eyes quickly scanned the many, many pages of potential guardians for the newest members of the Cullen family and when they alighted on one specifically, a huge smile broke out over his young friend's face and Gideon knew the die had been cast. In his not so humble opinion, there wasn't a better choice Seth could have made.

"She'll be perfect, Seth," Gideon praised and didn't try to hide his distinct pleasure at the potential choice to watch over Ava and Chloe.

A look of intense relief and supreme satisfaction washed over Seth and his white wings unfurled to their impressive maximum. He floated in the air and he let out a laugh that rumbled as far as the ear could go.

"I'm going to go tell her now. There isn't any time to waste," he said excitedly and before Gideon could even give him any advice on what to tell the newest member of Team Cullen, he was gone.

Gideon chuckled and shook his head saying a quick prayer that his exuberant and quite impetuous young friend remembered what he needed to tell her.

A few minutes later, or minutes in the human sense, Seth found himself approaching a group of the others and when he stopped he was practically shaking he was so excited.

As angels there was nothing greater than getting your assignment. It was what they were meant for: to love, guide, and protect their charges. Even though, as he well knew, there were times their humans made them want to pull their hair out and scream and yes, even cry, ultimately, their joy came from watching as they became the people they were destined to become.

Seth knew that better than anyone. Edward had been, and still was, the most difficult assignment he'd ever had or would have, but every heartache, every time he felt like he'd failed, every anguished talk he'd had with Gideon had been worth it to watch Edward now live and love and be happy. There would never be another like Edward, and for that he couldn't help but say a prayer of thanks.

Like he'd said time and again, he was an angel...he wasn't a saint after all.

Miriam looked up and noticed Seth and felt a tingle of excitement race through her body. Everyone knew Seth was one of the favored angels as well as what he was in the process of doing. Like all of the others, she'd watched Edward and Isabella's love story and felt pain when they hurt and felt joy when they were happy. She'd watched as little Cameron Seth came into the world and she knew that the twins were on the way, which meant that they were in need of someone. Someone like her if she had her wish.

"Miriam, can I have a word with you please?" she heard Seth ask and she felt her smile spread across her face.

Seth chuckled at her because he knew she knew what he was about to offer her and the look on her face told him everything he needed to know. She would indeed be perfect to watch over Ava and Chloe... _Lord help her_. Those two girls were going to keep her busy for many, many...many years. It was a good thing angels didn't age or anything like that because the twins...they were going to give her a run for her money.

Gleefully, he admitted silently, he couldn't wait to watch someone else be driven as crazy by a Cullen as he had been...and continued to be daily.

"Yes?" she practically squealed when she was in front of him.

"Do I even need to ask?" Seth grinned at the fact she was already nodding her head.

"No! I want it! I'll do it!" she told him with a loud clap of her hands.

He wanted to tease her about her enthusiasm, but he couldn't really do it seeing as how he acted the same way, most especially when it concerned Edward...or more accurately Isabella and Cameron Seth.

"You do realize what this means, yes?" he tried to ask with a straight face. "I hope you know that being on Team Cullen is no easy task. With those two, especially Ava Grace, who I will swear is Edward's punishment for being such a pain in my ass, they are quite likely to make you question your sanity on more than one occasion...trust me."

Miriam wouldn't be deterred and she knew that even though Seth liked to talk a big game, there wasn't anyone, perhaps not even the lovely Isabella, that loved Edward as much as he did.

"I do know and I want it. I promise I do," she told him with as much feeling as her otherworldly body possessed.

"Okay, then, welcome to Team Cullen," Seth said with a smirk.

He went over a few things with her, not that all angels didn't know how to perform their duties to begin with. It was a good thing he picked her when he did, because as he expected, Isabella wound up being rushed to the hospital a good two weeks ahead of schedule.

As the angels watched with bated breath, little Ava Grace made her entrance into the world loudly, demanding attention right from the get-go while her sister, Chloe Abigail, merely looked around and tried to figure out what all the fuss was about.

Edward handled the delivery even better than Seth expected and when he, Isabella, and Cameron held the two little bundles between them on the bed, Seth and Miriam looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

Another chapter in the life of Edward and Isabella Cullen had begun.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**5 years later**

"Dad," Cameron called for Edward as he ran toward the field with his glove in his hand. "Hurry up! We're already late," he hollered as he looked back over his shoulder and rolled his eyes at his dad.

Edward closed the back of the SUV and pulled the equipment bag up on his shoulder. He may have let out a grunt as his body protested just a bit, but he'd never admit it.

He squinted his eyes and noticed that as his son said, they were indeed late, but it wasn't anything new. Between Ava and Chloe it was a wonder they ever made it out of the house at all.

"Hey, Ed, have trouble finding your way out of the house?" Emmett taunted as he got closer.

"You know, Emmett, you've been a father a hell of a lot longer than I have so cut me a break why don't you?" Edward grunted as he dropped the bag of bats onto the ground with a thump. "Besides," he smirked at his brother, "Isabella and I are done and you...aren't." Like the smartass he was, he pulled his sunglasses off his baseball cap and put them on then slapped his brother good-naturedly on the back. It seemed to snap Emmett out of the stupor he was suddenly in at the mention of their impending fourth kid.

It was a good thing Rose and Emmett were the epitome of the perfect parents because the thought of another baby, at his age and after having made it past the terrible twos and the terrifying threes only to now be firmly ensconced in the frenzied fives, made him positively quake in his tennis shoes. Not that Edward didn't wake up every morning thinking he was the luckiest man on the face of the planet, because he most certainly did, but he couldn't imagine having any fuller of a life than he had right now.

"Daddy!" came the sweet high-pitched squeal from his mini-me, Ava Grace.

Long brownish-red hair that had highlights of gold streaked throughout, eyes as green as the baseball field Cameron was currently standing in and the trademark Cullen smirk were the dead giveaway as to which parent she took after. Her sister, Chloe Abigail, looked exactly like her mother, though her hair was styled in an adorable pixie cut and her eyes weren't quite as brown as Isabella's were. She had the same gentle demeanor, the same loving, tender heart and in turn the same fiery temper as well. The two girls couldn't be any more different and Edward couldn't love them any more if he tried.

His kids were his pride and joy and there wasn't a minute that went by that he didn't realize how lucky he was; especially when at the end of the day, there was his wife waiting for him in their bed.

Speaking of...

"Hey, Beautiful," he smiled at her when she walked up.

He wasted no time wrapping his arms around her and diving in for a quick but always necessary kiss. Letting his tongue swirl with hers for just a moment he pulled her even closer to him. Ever mindful of their audience he kept it short, but like it did every time, it only made him want to keep on kissing her.

He kissed her quickly one more time on the lips and then stepped backward and gave her _her_ smile. Even after giving birth to three kids, she'd only gotten more beautiful.

"Next time I'm taking Cam and you can take the TwinTerrors," she told him with a huff but then couldn't help but grin at him when his eyes got so big his eyebrows disappeared beneath his hat.

"Doodlebug, you didn't give your mommy any trouble did you?" he asked Ava with an exaggerated look of surprise on his face as he swung her up in his arms, thinking he really was getting too old to be doing such a thing or his daughter was getting too big.

Neither thought was particularly welcome.

Ava shook her head, her pigtails whipping around her face, and looked from her daddy to her mommy and said in a most serious tone of voice, "Noooo, Daddy. Promise."

Edward, who knew better than anyone what that tone, coupled with that word meant, tried to scowl at his daughter, but as per usual, wound up just smiling at her while ignoring the scoff of his wife and his other daughter rolled her big brown eyes and looked like the spitting image of her mother.

Asking Ava that question was like asking someone if the sun was going to rise in the morning. The answer was always yes.

The twins didn't misbehave per se, but Lord were they ever a rambunctious duo; Ava way more than her less rowdy sister. Put Ava, her cousin, Gavin, and Jasper's six-year-old son, Logan, together, and Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were ducking for cover for sure. Gavin might be a little older than the other two, but the younger ones had no trouble whatsoever keeping up with him...and finding enough mischief to get into. Throw in Alec's son, Ethan, who was the same age as Logan into the mix, and it was a disaster just waiting to happen.

Thankfully for the grownups, parents and grandparents alike, the rest of the kids were not as apt to find trouble around every corner. Max and Sophie's four-year-old daughter, Evie, and Alec and Alessandra's daughter, Riley, who was also four, along with Chloe were like three peas in a pod and spent as much time together as they could. Blessedly, most of that time was spent quietly playing or talking amongst themselves, though as kids were apt to do...they had their moments of naughtiness as well.

The older kids, Jack, who was now fourteen, Emma who was eleven, Cameron, and Jasper and Alice's daughter, Amelia, who was the same age as Cam, hung out without the younger ones underfoot and whenever Jack decided he wasn't too cool to be seen with the others. That left poor Noah, Max and Sophie's two-year-old as the odd man out, but with Rose expecting, he'd have his own playmate before too long.

The Cullens and their extended family certainly kept Seth and the others plenty busy, no doubt about it. As Seth had told Edward on more than one occasion, they were all a part of the same package, however, when Seth told him that, the package wasn't quite as large as it was now!

Today, everywhere you looked, there was a Cullen or a pseudo-Cullen because Gavin and Cameron had a baseball game. It was the last game of the season and afterward there was going to be a team picnic. Edward and Emmett were the coaches and neither Papa Charlie nor Grandpa Carlisle ever missed a game. Grandmas Esme and Renée were always on hand to keep an eye on the younger children, though between all the other adults who never missed a chance to get together, there were plenty of people to keep the ratio of adult to kid to a manageable level. The same held true whenever Jasper and Edward coached the soccer team Ava, Logan, and Ethan played on or when Chloe, Evie, and Riley had a ballet recital. No one missed one of Jack's baseball games either, or even Amelia's tennis matches, though no one was particularly fond of tennis truth be told. The hardest was when Emma had a golf match because keeping that many people quiet was difficult, especially Emmett, but they did the best they could, much to Emma's mortification most of the time.

Emma still thought her Uncle Edward was the most awesome thing ever and one of Edward's favorite things to do was to take his pretty girl out for the day so they could play golf and talk. It was a relationship they both treasured and nurtured and one that had only deepened as Emma got older. Emmett did the same with Cameron and Gavin and Isabella and Jack could be found more often than not huddled in a corner and discussing the latest bestseller or some autobiography that Jack stumbled upon. If Rose wasn't busy with her own family, it was assured that you could find her with Ava and Chloe at Renée's art studio.

Their lives were so full of family and love and happiness that it was hard to imagine what things might have been like without the appearance of a very annoying but very happy angel.

"Dad, come on, it's time to warm-up," Cameron yelled out and waved at his mother and sisters before putting his game face on.

"I've been paged. Wish us luck," Edward smirked at Isabella and then bent down to kiss Ava on the forehead. "Keep score, Doodlebug, okay? Papa Charlie always messes up and you know Cam likes to look at all the stats when he's done playing."

"Kay, Daddy," she answered him sweetly and giggled when she thought about her Papa Charlie, because he really did mess up every time.

Edward stood up and was going to get one more kiss from his other daughter but found Chloe pulling Alec by the hand toward the concession stand. He could only shake his head at that because if it was possible, and he wasn't sure how she'd managed it, little Chloe had her "Uncle" Alec even more wrapped around her finger than her mother did and Alec ate it up every chance he could.

With one last kiss and wave, Edward made his way to the dugout, grabbed his glove, then went to go help his son warm-up before the game.

"Papa, you're doing it wrong," Ava scolded Charlie a short time later when they were sitting in the bleachers watching the game.

Charlie snorted and erased the box Ava was pointing at and made sure to put the correct symbol there. "Ava Grace, you know it's not nice to make fun of your elders," he told her when she giggled at him and shook her head.

Ava bestowed him with a brilliant smile and kiss to boot, mostly because her Papa was the only one that ever called her Ava Grace, even though it was because, as he told her time and time again, it was only through the grace of God she didn't wind up in the emergency room on a daily basis.

"You are not old, Papa," she told him sternly and then patted him on the head.

"Good to know, squirt. Besides, who could afford to be old with all you hooligans running around all the time?" he asked with a smirk.

She huffed at him and gave him a look that was very much like her mother's when she got annoyed with him or Edward and crossed her arms across her chest. "I am not a hooligan," she told him in as haughty a voice as she could muster especially because she wasn't quite sure what it meant but the way her Papa laughed at her, she had a feeling she knew.

"Of course not," he chuckled at her and then handed her some money to go get a hot dog.

Charlie watched her scamper off, dragging Chloe, Logan, and Evie along the way. It amazed him every single day how blessed and rich his life was and he never, ever, for a moment took it for granted. He'd spent years hoping and wishing to be in the position he was now, surrounded by family and grandchildren and though only three of them were his flesh and blood, he loved all of them as much as if they were his own. He hadn't missed a baseball game of Jack's in over eight years, had been to every one of Emma's programs at school, and he'd endured every one of Amelia's tennis matches with a smile on his face.

He spent less time working and more time living and loving and enjoying his family and judging from the enthusiastic reception he got every day when he got home from his gorgeous wife, not to mention the fact that she seemed every bit as happy as he did with the way their life was, he couldn't imagine there was a man alive that was as lucky as he was.

Well, except for his amazing son-in-law he supposed.

The crack of the bat caught his attention and he whooped and hollered when Cameron hit the ball to the outfield. When he sat down again, his daughter was beside him.

"Hi, Dad," she told him when he grinned at her.

"Bambola," he said as he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "That was some hit, huh?" he asked proudly.

She nodded at him and no one could ever doubt how much his daughter loved her children...or her husband. Charlie had watched over the years as the love between his son-in-law and daughter grew, blossomed, and strengthened.

The entire family, Swans, Cullens, and the rest that were loved as much as if they had the same blood, only got stronger the more time that passed. Charlie had watched, with awe and pride as Edward, Carlisle, and Esme put all the ghosts of their past behind them and was put on display for all the world to see when they had been named Cameron's godparents along with Emmett and Rose. The boy didn't need two sets of godparents, but the symbolism of having them all be wasn't lost on anyone.

He looked to his left and saw Renée, Nonna, Carlisle and Esme smiling and laughing at something little Noah did while Sophie held him and he felt his heart fill even more.

Charlie knew he was a very, very lucky and blessed man.

A loud shriek of excitement came from the direction of the playground and when Charlie turned to look, Alec, Max, Marcus, and Jasper were playing tag with all the kids and he heard his daughter groan beside him.

"What's the matter, Bella?" he asked her as he threw an arm around her.

She sighed, somewhat dramatically he thought, and said, "I don't know why I even bother getting Ava dressed in anything but shorts and a t-shirt. You'd think I would know better by now."

"Well, look at it this way, Bambola," Charlie said as he kissed the top of her head. "At least you have Chloe to even it out a bit. Not only that," he said in a conspiratorial whisper, "imagine what it would have been like if the girls had been...boys."

Isabella shuddered and then giggled at her dad. "You don't fool me for a minute, Papa, those girls have you so totally wrapped around their little fingers it's a wonder Mama ever lets you out of the house without taking your debit card first."

Charlie merely shrugged because there was no way he could argue with that very true statement.

Isabella stood up and kissed her dad before making her way to the playground to check on the kids and help set up for the picnic. She watched as Edward congratulated Cameron on his hit and then gestured with his hands how far the ball went. It was so incredible to watch Edward and Cameron bond over the game that had caused him so much grief and heartache when he was a young boy and it made her love her husband even more if it was possible.

A feat she thought was surely unlikely.

"Bella, stop staring at your man and come play with me," Alec called to her and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

Yes, some things never changed.

She rolled her eyes at him and giggled at his obnoxious but still totally harmless flirting and made her way over to him, anticipating being swept up in a huge hug, which she was.

Once she was back on the ground again, she slapped him playfully on the arm. "Alec, one of these days you'll remember that I'm a forty-year-old woman and not a teenager...not that you even knew me when I was a teenager," she teased him.

"Bella, you wound me," he cried and placed his hand over his heart...a move that caused everyone in the immediate vicinity to laugh at his antics. "You, my dear, don't look a day over...thirty-nine," he tried to say with a straight face only to burst out laughing when she scowled at him, or tried to anyway.

After all the years they'd been friends, she still couldn't give him a dirty look if her life depended on it.

"You are such a butt-head," she told him and then laughed when he sputtered at her with wide eyes.

"Did you seriously just call me a butt-head?"

"Yes, I did. I can't very well call you the a-word you know, little ears and all," she reminded him with the look.

He looked around and shrugged his shoulders. No one could ever accuse Alec of being an uptight parent.

"You love me and you know it," he taunted her as she walked away. "And, Chloe does, too. Admit it, Bella, you can't ever get mad at me."

That did not even deem an answer because, well, everyone knew what the answer was anyway.

A short while later when she was handing out slices of watermelon she felt her favorite two arms in the world wrap around her waist.

Without looking behind her she broke off a piece of the juicy fruit and held it up, letting loose a soft groan when Edward curled his tongue around her fingers just long enough to make her tingle from head to foot but not too long as to draw attention.

He spun her around and kissed her quickly on the lips and she smiled at him when she tasted the sweet watermelon. "Congratulations, Coach," she whispered happily as she ran her hands through his damp hair.

"I know! Did you see our boy? That hit was fucking incredible," he said louder than he intended and then quickly looked around to make sure no one heard him.

She wanted to scold him about his language, but he was so excited about Cameron's playing she couldn't...not that it would do any good anyway as she'd come to realize.

"It was," she agreed and then turned around to fix him a plate.

"Hey, Beautiful," he said softly a few hours later, "I think we'd better head home." Chloe had been curled up on his lap for the last thirty minutes and her eyes could barely stay open.

She nodded and gathered up their food and belongings and the other two kids who didn't protest too much about leaving indicating just how tired they all were from their full day. It took a few minutes to say good bye to everyone which wasn't at all surprising because of the number of people there were and made their way to the car and then home.

As they walked in, Edward looked at his wife and said, "Love, grab us a bottle of wine and go relax outside. I'll get them bathed and in bed and meet you on the deck."

She didn't argue a bit and did as he asked. When she stepped out the back door and took a deep breath, she felt herself immediately relax. Walking around the deck, she lit some candles as the sun was just beginning to set and then poured herself a glass of wine. Once she settled on her favorite chaise, she closed her eyes and listened to the crickets, the soft breeze, and the music that floated out from the speakers.

Edward quietly closed the door to the girls' bedroom and then went down the hall to check on Cameron. He was half asleep watching TV from his bed and after kissing him good night and reminding him to turn the TV off before he went to sleep, he hurried into his own room so he could take a quick shower.

"You might as well take your time," came the voice from the chair in the corner. "She's already asleep."

Edward snorted but didn't look in that direction yet and continued emptying his pockets laying his keys, cell phone, and wallet on the top of the dresser.

"I figured she would be. It's been a long day. Besides, one glass of wine is enough to knock her on her ass; it always has been," Edward told the annoying angel person when he sat on the bed to take his shoes off.

"Our boy did good today," Seth said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

Yes, Seth most definitely took much, if not most, of the credit for Cameron's baseball prowess. A bit presumptuous of course, but it never stopped him from doing it, not that anything could as Edward and the others well knew.

Edward rolled his eyes and then took a deep breath when a glass of amber liquid appeared in his hand. He loved...loved...spending the day at the ball field with Cameron, Gavin, and Emmett and there was nothing better than hanging out with his family and friends afterward, but he was always so fucking happy to get home and spend quiet time with Isabella. It was her that kept him sane when the chaos of being a part of such a loud, loving family got to be too much. It was her calm and gentle way that made him realize every day what was important and it was her faith and absolute, unconditional love that always reminded him of how incredibly lucky he was.

"Damn that tastes good," Edward said when he took another deep breath after taking a rather large sip of angelic scotch.

Seth chuckled from his spot and let his eyes twinkle at his young friend. "I'm sure it does. Sometimes it still gets a bit overwhelming, huh?" he asked knowingly.

Edward leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs and ran one hand through his hair. "It sure as hell does. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love each and every one of them more than I can say, but I am always so damn happy to come home with my family or to my family." He looked up and found Seth looking at him intently.

"What?"

"I know I've said this to you many times, Edward Anthony, but I'm so damn proud of you. To have watched what you have made of your life, of the second chance you were given is...well, it's damn humbling if you want to know the truth. I hate that you suffered and the pain that others caused you hurt me, too, but to see you now, so happy and so fulfilled has seriously been my greatest pleasure to witness. I've also told you that Isabella has always been your Greatest Gift...but guiding you, protecting you...loving you has been mine," Seth said in a moment of total honesty and vulnerability.

Edward blinked back the tears that stung his eyes and tried to swallow the lump that appeared in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, though he didn't know what, but then closed it because he found he couldn't speak.

Seth chuckled, a bit embarrassed at his display of emotion and shook the windows in the process. "Enough of this heavy business, Eddie. Go shower and spend some time adoring your lovely wife. Might be a good night to...shall we say...spend some quality time together while the children are sleeping," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye and then disappeared.

"Damn bossy, pain in the ass angel," Edward muttered before standing up to do as he was told.

After finishing his shower he found another glass of angelic scotch waiting for him and he carried it downstairs with him when he went to go do exactly what the annoying angel told him to do. When he got to the back door, he stopped and his heart started racing...not to mention what other parts of his body were doing in reaction to the sight in front of him.

A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he stared at her laying on the chaise. The clothes were different, there were tiny lines on her face that weren't there before, her body borne the effects of giving birth to their three amazing children, but she still took his breath away every bit as much as she did on that life-changing day all those years ago.

He'd come so close to losing her, to losing the life that he'd been too afraid to embrace, and the fact that he was standing there now was a testament to Isabella's unwavering love and faith in him...and in them. Fourteen years later and she was still the most exquisite and magnificent creature he'd ever laid eyes on. He was still filled with the same sense of deep, wondrous, and everlasting love, but this time...he knew he was worthy of her. He knew that every day would be better than the day before. He knew that they had a lifetime to make memories...and the ever after to relive them over and over again.

As if she could feel his presence, she opened her eyes and stared at him.

He walked forward and sat down beside her, running his fingers down the side of her cheek. Staring into her eyes...all he saw was forever...

The End~  
 **~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**And they all lived happily ever after!**

**That is it folks...The End. There won't be a sequel, there won't be any future takes or outtakes besides the one that is in the Fandom4Tsunami compilation and the one that will be included in the Fandom4Storms compilation later this month. Both of those will be posted to Ffn and the TGG blog when I am allowed to post them and both will be included in the PDF we will post to the blog when the Storms outtake is submitted in 2 weeks. Laurel has worked really hard on the PDF and I hope you all enjoy having your very own copy of TGG to keep on your computers. (Makes me feel like I've written a book to be honest with you!)**

**With the review replies for this final chapter, I will be sending you a teaser from the first chapter of my new story, _The Breakers_. Here is a little snippet to give you something to think about until then: **

_**He is is totally alone in this world and trying to leave behind a past that sent him to prison for seven years.** _

_**She has a past of her own. Heartbroken and aimlessly drifting through life, while raising her daughter as a single-parent.** _

_**In a sleepy, little fishing village, can a beautiful little girl bring these two together so they can both open their hearts and learn to love or will the ocean swallow them whole?** _

**Laurel has done an amazing job on the blog already for _The Breakers_ , so go take a peek at it! Take a look around, read up on lobster fishing, and be sure to sign up for email alerts. We'll be adding new things in the coming days so be sure to be on the look out! **

**www(.)les16-thebreakers(.)blogspot(.)com**

* * *

**Okay...Please indulge me for just a moment while I say thank you to some incredible women-**

**To Ysar at The Twilight Awards~ Thank you for making the gorgeous banner for TGG! It fit the story so well and I smile every time I look at it.**

**To Angie (LeechLover81)~ Thank you for making the incredible trailer for TGG! Please, everyone, take a few minutes and watch this! It gives me goose bumps every time and it totally captures the entire feel of TGG! What an amazing thing you did for me sweetie, thank you doesn't seem like enough!**

**www(.)youtube(.)com/watch?v=kQAeaN-HcVU**

**To Team Angel~**

**Laurel~ My everything. You made the blog, you send in the teasers, you read my chapters a minimum of 10 times every week so that they are practically flawless. But, more than that, you love me, support me, and have so much faith in me it blows me away. Your love for this story and these characters is unparalleled and sharing every minute of writing TGG has been an absolute joy because of you! I love you more than there are words to say!**

**Aleea~ Your objectivity and the way you pushed me from the very beginning helped shape TGG into the story it became. You questioned, you prodded, you praised and I could NOT have done this without you! I can never repay you for what you did but know I will always have nothing but love and respect for you!**

**Ayden~ I remember the very first comment you made about TGG...do you? Hint...you jumped on your bed and yelled a word at your husband! :) Your enthusiasm and encouragement have been such a blessing. I'm so lucky to have had your help all along the way and I love you. Oh, and yes, you can still keep Seth!**

**Jen~ You've been with me from the very beginning and I have truly appreciated all the help and suggestions you have given me along the way...especially with the Italian! I can't thank you enough! Love you...**

**~To my girls that make each of my days better just by knowing you: Kat, Cecile, J'me, Mary, Becky, Lianne, Tina, and Jennifer. I don't have the words to tell you how special each of you are to me...just know that I love each of you and say thank you every day that you are a part of my life.**

**~And...to each of you. Your words of encouragement and support, your faith in me to give you a HEA even when you doubted me, the messages some of you have shared with me about what this story has meant to you personally is the reason I write. I've come to know so many of you and I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your Sunday's with me for the past 6 months! (Goodness that is a long time!) I hope you'll follow me on my next journey, but if you don't, thanks for everything.**

**For those that are as excited as I am about _The Breakers_...I'll see you in two weeks...same time, same day!**

**Thanks for an incredible ride...I love you all madly!**

**Erin~**


	32. The Birth of Cameron Seth

****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline is property of les16.** **

**Special thanks goes to everyone on Team Angel ~ Laurel, Aleea, Ayden, Kat, J'me, Cecile, Lianne, and Jen! Thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Without all of you, I would be completely lost.**

**Here it is – The Birth of Cameron Seth. This outtake was originally written for the Fandom4Storms fundraiser and is especially dedicated to my 'Bama girls : Becky, Robin, Anna, and Carla. I heart you all big time, hope this is as special to you as it is to me!**

**I think a tissue warning might be in order, just saying!**

**Now … on we go for the very last time!**

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

"Arnold."

"No, Edward."

"Donald."

"Um...no."

"Ronald?" This one was with a laugh.

That one got an eye roll...only.

"How about Larry?" he tried to ask with a straight face, he really did.

Isabella shook her head as she walked into the bathroom so she could pick up her brush and then returned, stopping in the doorway to look at him. He'd been home from the hospital for a few weeks now; they'd made it through both Christmas and New Years and they had an appointment to see Isabella's doctor in the morning. Looking at him you'd never be able to tell he'd been in any sort of accident less than a month ago. His hair had mostly grown back, the bruising had all but faded, and even the scrapes and scabs were gone. He sat cross-legged on their bed, baby books spread all around him with his glasses perched sexily on the end of his nose.

She shuddered when she thought about how close she came to losing him, but then took a deep breath and let that go. Tomorrow they were going to hear their baby's heartbeat...together...and that was all that mattered.

"George?" he asked looking up from the book of baby names, a silly, sexy grin on his face.

"Nope," she answered, and made a popping sound with the "p".

He looked down again and then back up at her a few seconds later. "I got it...Edgar," he teased and when the corners of her lips moved in a smile, he started laughing...hard.

Still holding the brush in her hand, she walked toward the bed, her smile growing the closer she got. "Sure, Edward. If you want our daughter to be named Edgar, I say we go for it, but you get to be the one that has to explain why she has such a hideous name," she told him and then giggled when he reached for her and pulled her down on the bed with him.

"Isabella, you really need to stop doubting me, seriously. It's a boy and the sooner you accept that, the faster we can pick out a name and start decorating his room," he told her with the cocky but sweet at the same time smirk he sported pretty much nonstop these days. He stared down at her and like always, was held completely captive by the depth he found. Her brown eyes sparkled in the golden glow of the bedside lamp and from the fire in the fireplace in the corner of their room.

Pregnancy most definitely agreed with his wife and though he never would have thought it was possible, she got more beautiful every day. Her hair shone as if she was standing in the sun, even when she was inside. Her skin glowed and there was always a smile on her gorgeous face. Her pregnancy, as he'd been assured before, had indeed been an easy one so far. With the exception of a few mornings where she'd spent more time in the bathroom than out, she hadn't had any problems. There were a few instances when her hormones had gotten the best of her and she was irritated about having to use the bathroom more and the fact that her body required more rest, but Edward just looked at all of that as a reason to pamper his wife. As if he really needed one in the first place, but he took his new mission seriously and attacked it with gusto.

Breakfast in bed, massages at night before they went to sleep, keeping the house stocked with her favorite foods, flowers delivered to her at the office in almost embarrassing regularity...anything and everything he could think of to show her, and everyone else, how completely over the moon he was about her being pregnant and the fact that he was soon going to be a father.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he whispered once he shook his head and focused back on her beneath him.

Lowering his head, he settled his lips against hers and ran them back and forth enjoying how soft and plump they were. He didn't kiss her, but he could practically taste the spicy cinnamon from her toothpaste. He let his hands ghost up and down her side, feeling the cool, smooth satin of her nightgown beneath his fingertips.

"I can't wait for tomorrow," he told her as he placed a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth. He flicked his tongue out at her lips and then licked his way across the bottom one. "To hear our baby, living inside of you," he said in a voice full of awe and wonderment.

After his accident and once he'd woken up and began his recovery, she'd made an appointment with her doctor to get checked out right away. He insisted. As upset as he was to miss even a minute of her pregnancy, her health and the health of the baby were more important. Renée promised him she would go with her and make sure everything was okay and when she returned back to the hospital assuring him all was well, he breathed a bit easier.

Tomorrow would be the first time they would hear the heartbeat because Isabella wouldn't do it without him. The doctor's assurance that everything was proceeding as it should be was good enough for her because like Edward, Isabella didn't want to experience anything without him by her side.

"Me, either. I'm so excited," she said in an adorable almost squeal.

"Hearing him tomorrow makes it really real, you know?" he asked with an almost shy shrug of his shoulders. He shimmied down her body and pushed up her nightgown until her stomach was exposed. He placed a loving, reverent kiss right above her navel and without looking up at her said softly, "I can't wait until you're here, little man. You are so loved already, but you haven't seen anything yet."

She giggled at him and then ran her fingers gently through his hair. Every night he would spend endless minutes talking to their baby; it didn't matter if it was nonsense or serious, but he did it every night without fail. He was going to be the most amazing father, she had complete faith in that fact, and even though he was convinced they were having a boy, she knew he would be thrilled no matter what sex it turned out to be.

However, she was quite positive that the baby would NOT be named Edgar.

He turned toward her when he heard her sweet laugh fill the air and his eyes once again turned dark as he carefully crawled back up her body and let his body press against hers. When he began rocking against her there was no mistaking how much he wanted her. The next words out of his mouth made that crystal clear.

"Isabella," he hissed as he pushed against her just right, letting the tip of him press against her most sensitive spot.

She moved beneath him and let out a frustrated huff when she couldn't wrap her legs around him due to being restricted by her silky nightgown. It looked gorgeous on her, even she knew that, but it was obvious it was meant to come off before the lovemaking could get underway.

He chuckled at her annoyance and the fact that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Slowly he slid his hands down her body and she sighed in pleasure as the warmth of his skin practically melted the offending nightgown straight off her body.

"Edward," she breathed, his name sounding like a warning and a plea.

"Shhh, Beautiful. You know I'll make you feel good," he told her as his mouth captured hers for a bruising kiss.

He poured everything into that kiss - every ounce of love he had for her and for their unborn child, every fear he had that he would somehow turn into Liam, no matter how preposterous the mere thought of that was, every word of thanks he felt for her for giving him the most precious gift a woman could give a man. Every cell in his body was alive, aching for her in a way that all at once seemed new but was familiar as the way her hand fit in his.

By the time he lifted his mouth from hers so they could breathe, her gown was pushed up over her hips and her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. When his mouth moved from her lips to the side of her neck, the gown was on the floor beside the bed in a soft, silky pile. Another kiss and swipe of his tongue across her collarbones later, and his pajama pants kept it company.

"I love you," he told her when he picked his head up and stared deeply into her eyes.

She looked up at him and pushed his hair back from his forehead. There was nothing she loved more than looking up and seeing her husband... _her_ Edward looming over her with his broad shoulders and muscular back. Her hands traced a path from his hair down over those sexy shoulders and then gripped his biceps, biting back a low moan when her fingers found nothing but solid muscle. She curled her fingers around them as much as her small hands would let her and used her legs to urge him forward. She wanted to feel him, all of him, on top of her. She wanted his weight to press her into the bed so that there was not one part of their bodies that wasn't touching.

She just wanted him...every moment of every day.

Her breath hitched and her heart raced as the feelings she was having coursed through her body and she clung to him almost desperately. It was like she couldn't get close enough, like she couldn't feel enough, like she couldn't tell him enough times that she loved him with everything she had inside of her and because she was too afraid if she opened her mouth to speak she'd start crying and never stop, she just squeezed her eyes closed and wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around his neck.

As sensitive as he always was to the way she responded to him, Edward of course immediately noticed the rather abrupt change in the atmosphere around them. He shifted their bodies so he was beneath her and then scooted up the bed so he could rest his back against the headboard.

"Talk to me, Beautiful," he whispered as softly as he could once she picked her head up to look at him.

He had bent his legs and she rested against them and let her very wet center nestle his very hard erection between them. His fingers slid through her hair and then he ran his thumb across her cheek as he cradled her head in his hand. With his other hand, he entwined their fingers and then rested their hands on his chest, right above the tattoo that reminded him every day of how far they'd come...together.

"I love you, Edward," she said so quietly it was barely louder than a breath.

"I love you, too," he answered back immediately. It didn't matter if he'd just said that not a minute ago or a second ago, he would never...ever...not tell her he loved her when he had a chance to do so.

He'd learned that lesson well and it was one he would never forget again.

"Isabella, just tell me," he told her in a very patient voice. "Are you nervous about tomorrow? You know the baby is fine," he assured her.

And...really...he did know because he'd already seen what his son would like like years and years from now.

She shook her head, her soft hair falling in waves over her shoulder. "It's not that. I know the baby is fine. If anything, I can hardly wait to hear the heartbeat with you," she told him as she raised her eyes to his. "It will be the first thing we get to do as... parents."

Edward sucked in a sharp breath as her words washed over him and when he gazed at her his eyes were wide with wonder and awe and so much happiness. _God, he really can't wait to be a father_ , she thought with a heart so full of love she thought she would float away.

"Parents," he whispered and there was no mistaking the way his brilliant green eyes shimmered due his tears.

He sat straight up and wrapped his arms tightly around her and with the slightest shift of his hips was buried deep inside of her. They each moaned when her warmth surrounded him and she couldn't help but rock up and down. His hands were spread wide across her back, one in the center, one lower across the top of her ass. Kissing her deeply, he thrust inside of her.

"Ah, fuck, Beautiful, you always feel so damn good," he hissed as he nipped back and forth across her collarbones, stopping every few moments to lick and suck on her neck.

She twisted his hair between her fingers and tugged, loving so much the way he growled in the back of his throat when she did so.

"Make me come, Edward, please," she panted and then arched her back with a moan when his finger found her most sensitive spot.

He watched her ride him, her long hair brushing across the tops of his thighs and felt his own release building rapidly. She looked fucking magnificent as she stretched her neck and her fuller breasts bounced up and down as she increased her pace, trying to hurry the orgasm that she craved.

"That's it, baby, let go. Come for me," he commanded and took a nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it.

He felt her tense then felt her flutter around him as she came. God, he loved to watch and feel her as she gave herself over to her pleasure.

His finger didn't stop teasing her bundle of nerves and when he bent his knees, he drove even deeper inside of her. The coil in his stomach was wound so tight and his legs were on fire and he knew his release was imminent.

Using his thumb instead of his finger he pressed down on her clit and bit down on her bottom lip when she exploded around him. He followed right behind, coming in a powerful burst and as he held her tightly once they were both spent, he carefully slid her off his lap and onto the bed. Once they'd cleaned up, he curled his body around hers and fell asleep with a smile on his face knowing that tomorrow would be the first step on their journey as parents.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~  
**

**End of March About 5 months pregnant  
**  
"Are you nervous?" she asked him as her knees bounced up and down while she sat in the horribly uncomfortable chair in her doctor's office.

"Um, Beautiful," he told her as he leaned in close to her ear and nuzzled her with his nose. "I'm not the one trying to use my feet to jackhammer all the way through to China."

Immediately she stopped bouncing and sheepishly looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "Sorry," she told him and he couldn't help but grin at the adorable blush that flooded her cheeks.

Even at the age of thirty, even five months pregnant, she could still look as innocent as she did on their wedding night.

Carefully, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her back against him, smiling into her hair when she let out a big breath and practically melted against his side. "You'll still love the baby even if it's a girl, won't you?" she asked him out of the blue a few moments later.

"Isabella," he groaned and let her name last for several more syllables than was necessary.

She tried to burrow her way into his shoulder but he was having none of that. Adjusting their bodies he turned just enough so he could grip her chin between his thumb and his index finger and then he lifted her head to look at him.

"Love, you know better than that," he told her and he didn't try to hide his hurt at her question.

He knew he'd joked, probably way more than he should have if he was being honest, about the fact that the baby was a boy, but no one...at least he had thought so...could ever doubt how happy the prospect of being a father made him. Jasper and Alice had their ultrasound appointment a few weeks prior and Edward had watched his best friend beam with pride as he told everyone at the office that he was going to be a daddy to a little girl. He smiled as he remembered how much in shock Jasper had been and Edward knew, in the way that men always did with one another, that Jasper had hoped for a boy first, but the fact that both Alice and baby were healthy was all that mattered. And even though he'd seen what his son would look like, there was no guarantee that that was what was going to happen. Stranger things could...and did... happen so he was just taking each day as they came. Like Jasper, all he wanted was for his wife and his unborn child to be safe and healthy.

"Oh, Edward, sweetheart," Isabella hiccuped as she threw her arms around his neck. "Of course I know better than that!" Tears immediately formed in her eyes at the hurt look on his face and she couldn't help but kiss him over and over again, not paying the least bit of attention to the few others in the waiting room with them. "I'm so sorry I asked that. I don't know what's wrong with me," she said quietly as he wiped beneath her eyes. "I'm just so nervous."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead in silent acknowledgment of her apology and he had to admit he felt much better knowing that wasn't really how she felt.

When he watched her take a very uneven breath he reached for her hand and squeezed it, waiting for her to look at him. "Everything is just fine, Beautiful. Stop worrying so much, okay?" he asked.

"I love you," she told him and then smiled when her name was called.

"I love you, too, baby...and you, too, Edgar," he said as he bent over and kissed her stomach. He turned and smirked when she heard him snort and as if on cue, the baby nudged Edward's nose with its little foot at the sound of that awful name.

"I told you she didn't like to be called Edgar, Edward," Isabella laughed as they followed the nurse down the hall to the ultrasound room.

Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to a stop right outside the door. "Like I would really name our son Edgar, Isabella, really," he chuckled and then kissed her soundly on the lips. "Let's do this and no matter what they tell us, I'll be happy. I'm going to be the best damn father, I promise," he told her and then had to breathe in and out of his nose a few times to keep control of his quickly escalating emotions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, are you ready?" the technician asked as she poked her head out of the door and looked at them in concern.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked with a grin a mile wide and laced their fingers together...always together.

She nodded at him and her smile matched his. "Ready," she answered and followed the tech into the room.

Once Isabella was situated on the exam table, Michelle, the ultrasound technician, turned off the lights and then sat down on the stool in front of the machine. After warning her the gel would be cold, a fact of which was proven when she jumped as the gel hit her exposed stomach, she began pushing buttons and typing information onto the computer.

"I'm just going to take some measurements and check the baby's progress before we try to take a picture and see if you have a boy or a girl," Michelle told them and then began adjusting dials and moving the wand over Isabella's stomach.

Edward was in awe, as was evidenced by the fact his mouth hung open so wide it was a wonder his jaw wasn't on the floor. Of course Michelle moved the wand too fast for him to be able to make out much of anything, but he caught glimpses of a foot, and a cute little nose...and he most definitely could see the heartbeat flutter on the screen.

"Oh my God," he whispered and didn't even try to hold back the tears he felt sting the corners of his eyes. "It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen." His voice shook as did his hands and his heart felt like it was about to beat its way out of his chest. How his heart was able to expand any more he didn't know, but he felt it as sure as he was sitting there. He'd loved his baby from the very second Isabella had told him she was pregnant. He fell in love with it a bit more the first time he heard that fluttering heartbeat, so loud and so fast and strong and told himself he'd never heard anything more beautiful in his life. But now...now it felt like his heart wasn't even inside his body anymore it had grown so much from all the love and happiness he felt. Love for his child...love for his amazing wife...love for the family they were building together. "Oh, Isabella, I love you so much," he said on a stuttering breath.

Isabella couldn't take her eyes off the screen and with each pass of the wand and each notation made she had to keep biting her tongue to keep from begging the technician to take just one more picture, to let her see her baby just one more time. She knew she was excited about being a mother but to see their baby living, moving inside of her was the most amazing thing she'd ever witnessed. That was to say nothing of how Edward was looking at her, like she was a most prized possession, a priceless work of art meant to adored and worshiped. It was a lot to take in.

"Edward," she rasped on a shaky breath and immediately felt his lips on her forehead.

"You've...I mean...I don't how to..." he stammered and then blew out a breath with a dreamy look on his face because he couldn't even think of what to say to her.

How do you thank the love of your life for giving you the greatest gift you've ever been given...after said love of your life of course.

He had to admit, he'd been a tiny bit worried, in the way that a thought niggles at the back of your mind, whether he'd be able to love anyone as much as he loved Isabella. Seeing just a glimpse of his baby he knew he never had to worry about that ever again.

Michelle cleared her throat, a bit moved by the obvious love the couple in front of her had for each other. "Are you ready to see if baby Cullen is ready to get its picture taken?" she asked with a grin.

"You bet we are," Edward chuckled and lifted Isabella's hand to his lips for a quick kiss. "I'm dying to show everyone little Edgar's picture."

Michelle's eyes about bugged out of her head when she registered what name he said and hoped she covered up the gasp with a little fake cough as she turned and faced the machine while she tried to gain her composure.

When she heard Mrs. Cullen laugh and then playfully slap her husband she realized Mr. Cullen had been teasing...thank goodness.

"It's a longstanding joke that's really not very funny," Isabella said as she tried to make the poor tech feel better. "You'll have to excuse my husband, Michelle, he seems to think Edgar is the perfect name for our daughter."

"Son."

"Whatever, Edward. We'll see in just a minute won't we?" she tried to scold him but one look at his excited face and she just smiled at him.

"I love you, so fu...very much," he whispered in a rough voice and kissed her quickly on the lips.

They were so caught up in staring at each other it took a moment for them to realize that Michelle had said, "And, there it is."

"You can tell?" Isabella asked as her heart beat wildly in her chest.

Michelle nodded and looked from one to the other. "Are you ready to find out whether or not your son or daughter will ever speak to either one of you again for the name Edgar?" she asked with a smile.

Edward looked down at her and when Isabella nodded he swallowed past the golf ball in his throat and squeaked out a "yes."

"Congratulations...it's a boy!"

"Holy shit," Edward breathed out and felt his knees go weak and then he laughed... really, really laughed.

Isabella watched him for a moment and was half worried and half amused by his reaction but when he flashed her _her_ smile, everything but him faded away. "Are you okay, now?" she asked him and tried to sit up groaning when she did so. "I'm fine," she told him as she patted his hand when she noticed the anxious look on his face. "I just have to pee...again."

He let out a breath and helped her sit up. "I'm so fucking happy," he whispered as he brushed his lips across hers once she was upright.

"Me, too," she beamed and then grimaced.

"Mrs. Cullen, I'll show you where the restroom is and then go make some copies of these pictures for you to give to your family and friends, okay?" Michelle asked once Isabella was on her feet.

"I'll meet you in the waiting room, Beautiful," he told her sweetly and then flopped back in his chair when the door closed behind her.

"You okay?" Seth asked with a chuckle when he appeared in front of his charge.

Edward just nodded at him with a big, silly grin on his face. He couldn't even think he had so many different things floating around in his head. He was just...perfectly happy.

"I'm fucking spectacular," Edward said and stood up and paced around the room.

He wanted to go buy a baseball glove. He wanted to go buy a train set. He wanted Legos and Matchbox cars. He wanted to go buy a guitar and a basketball hoop.

He was going to have a son.

He had never been happier in his life.

Seth watched Edward and felt his heart soar and if he was able to, he'd let his wings out and fly around the room and really show Edward how happy he was. Instead he settled for a loud rumbling laugh that shook the floor.

"I never would have guessed," Seth remarked with a smirk. "My namesake already looks good huh?" he teased, though he was completely serious.

The technician was able to capture a perfect picture of Cameron Seth and Edward couldn't wait to show everyone.

"Hell yes he does! Isn't he amazing? I mean he's the most incredible baby you've ever seen, right?" Edward asked earnestly and then had to laugh at how crazy he sounded.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths and when he opened them, found Seth standing right in front of him. "It's a lot to process, isn't it?" he asked quietly and waited for Edward to nod his head before continuing. "You are going to be an amazing father, Edward Anthony, make no mistake about that. I'm sure you'll have your moments, as every parent does, where I'll have to kick your ass for acting like an idiot, but the way you love that little boy already just goes to show you how ready you are to be a dad."

The angel's words settled over him and Edward had the urge to reach out and hug the annoying being, just proving how much everything was affecting him.

Hug Seth...as if?

But, he did lift his hand and pat him on the shoulder because Seth's faith in him meant almost as much as Isabella's...not that he would ever admit it though. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "That means a hell of a lot to me. I can't wait for him to be here, you know? To see him with my own eyes, to hold him and take care of him. I'm so ready for this."

"I know you are. Now," the angel smirked and let his eyes twinkle, "go buy my boy something for being such a good boy today. Preferably something loud that will drive you crazy when he plays with it...which of course will be all the time."

Edward snorted and when he looked up, Seth was gone.

"Damn pain in the ass, annoying, know-it-all angel," Edward muttered, mostly because he knew he'd be buying a toy just like that within the hour.

He smiled though as he thought... _the joys of being a parent._

He couldn't fucking wait.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

**August 4, 2011 Cameron Seth's Birthday**

"Beautiful, do you need anything? Do you want to try walking again?" Edward asked as he bent over and wiped her forehead off with a washcloth.

She blew out a frustrated breath through gritted teeth and shook her head.

_God, she was so tired._

When her water broke more than eight hours ago, she never would have imagined she'd still be in labor, still waiting...still pregnant. She wanted to hold her son already, damn it, except that apparently her son liked to drive her every bit as crazy as his father did and was taking his sweet time making his entrance into the world.

Figures...like father, like son.

If she didn't love them both so much, she might want to kill them.

"Do you want me to get your mom?" he asked, trying to think of anything he could do to make her feel better.

Seeing her miserable was killing him. She wasn't one of those screamers or anything nor did she curse him up one side and down the other...but he knew he wasn't out of the woods. The hard part of bringing their son into the world hadn't even started yet. He could only hope that once Cameron decided he wanted out, it was over quickly.

He wasn't sure how long he could last.

Actually he did...as long as it took, he knew that. He would be as strong as she was, and when she felt like she couldn't go on anymore, he'd give her his strength. It was he least he could do for the gift she was about to give him.

Isabella gritted her teeth and squeezed his hand as she breathed through another painful contraction and after taking a sip of water answered Edward's previous question. "No, sweetheart," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "I just want you, no one else. I'll see them all once he's here."

He sat down beside her and rubbed the small of her back and kissed the side of her head. "Sounds good to me, love."

And really it did. All the family had been in and out since she'd been admitted and he was happy about that, but now, he was more than happy for it to be just the two...and hopefully three of them for now.

The contractions were coming much faster and the last time Dr. Shannon had been in, she'd assured them that their son would be here within the next hour or two.

He couldn't believe they were finally here, after all the months and months of waiting...Cameron was finally going to be here.

He wasn't sure there were enough words in the English language to describe how happy he was.

Another contraction came and this time a slew of nurses pushing all sorts of equipment entered the room, followed by Dr. Shannon.

"Ah, Isabella. Another contraction already, good. I'd say we're well on our way to getting that little guy out of you and out here so we can wish him happy birthday," Dr. Shannon said as she looked at a printout.

She nodded and squeezed Edward's hand.

He felt his heart beat faster... _he was almost here!_

Somehow it was an hour later and when the next contraction came the energy level in the room increased tenfold. Edward could barely feel his fingers because Isabella hung on to them so tightly, but she was hanging in there like the incredible woman he knew she was.

"Okay, Isabella, on the next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can, all right? It's time," Dr. Shannon told her and Edward swallowed convulsively.

Holy shit... _he was about to be here!_

"Edward, why don't you help her sit up just a bit and then what do you say we have a baby?" she asked and after helping her into a more upright position it was time to push.

Isabella felt the contraction building and when her stomach twisted, she pushed and breathed and panted and prayed.

"Good job, Beautiful." Edward kissed her and she rested her head against his shoulder and barely had time to breathe before another contraction came, this time even harder than before and she repeated the same process again...and again...and again.

"I see the top of his head now, so on the next one, push as hard as you can," she heard the doctor say and felt Edward squeeze her as he pressed his lips against her sweaty forehead.

"I love you. You are doing such an incredible job," he whispered and though she was exhausted beyond belief she smiled at him.

He'd been so amazing today...actually since the moment she told him she was pregnant he'd been nothing but wonderful and she knew how lucky she was. She didn't ever forget and soon, she hoped and prayed, she'd be able to give him the child they both wanted so badly.

She pressed her forehead against him and managed to get out an "I love you, too," before another contraction seized her body.

"That's it, baby," Edward praised her and felt his heart leap when he saw a shock of fuzzy hair when he glanced down. "Oh my God," he said and felt his whole body shake.

_He was almost here!_

"One more big push, love, then we can wish him a happy birthday," he told her with a watery smile.

As he held her and breathed with her, he watched in wondrous amazement as his son slipped from his mother and into the waiting hands of the doctor. When Cameron's cry filled the room, he knew his life would never be the same again.

When he cut the cord and then kissed his exhausted but gorgeous wife he knew he was the luckiest man alive.

A few short minutes later, as he and Isabella held Cameron between them and counted ten toes and ten fingers, there wasn't anything else he could imagine ever wanting as much as what he held right then.

His wife.

His son.

His family.

His Greatest Gifts.

**~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~**

****I have to tell you all, it's been SO hard letting these characters go. Truly. This story will always hold such a special place in my heart. Thank you to each of you that has read this story, reviewed, added it to your favorites or alerts, recommended to someone … anything and everything – it has been amazing.****

****I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it, and if it moved you or made you think, well then all the better.** **

****If you didn't know, the amazing Laurel has made the most beautiful PDF of TGG and it is available for you to download if you'd like your own copy. The link is posted on the TGG blog:** **

****www(.)les16-thegreatestgift(.)blogspot(.)com** **

****If you don't know, I've started a new story,** ** **_**The Breakers** _ ** ****. Tomorrow I'll be posting the 7** ** ****th** ** ****chapter so it's not too far along yet, but I'm having the best time writing it. For those that have followed me, thank you so much, and for those that haven't, I hope you'll give it a try.** **

****Thanks again for reading and for allowing me to share this very special and unique story with you. It's truly been a pleasure to get to know so many of you! Hope to hear from you all in the future!** **

****Hugs and much love,** **

****Erin~** **


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